To start some background information about me.
I was a member of the Royal Netherlands Airforce, and serving as a Warrant Officer Class 1 at NATO headquarters SHAPE in Casteau, Belgium.
My career started in 1973 with the “Koninklijke Marechaussee”, the Dutch Royal Military Police. I was subsequently stationed at the Training school in Apeldoorn, guarded the Royal Family in Baarn and at the Military Police Barracks in Harderwijk, performing military police duties.
In 1980 I changed career and moved over to the Airforce. After some extra technical training I was posted to Leeuwarden Airforce Base. In 1987 I moved with my family to Canada, when the Airforce assigned me to the new Dutch Low-level Flight Training Unit at Canadian Forces Base Goose Bay in Labrador.
After returning to Holland in 1990 to Hilversum I spent time with LVMG, the Airforce Communications and Meteorological Group, later 2LVG, 2nd Airforce Communications Group, and the Airforce Depot at Woensdrecht Airforce Base.
In 1999 I was assigned to Belgium. The family stayed in Hilversum I had an apartment in Mons, Belgium.
In between I paid a visit to Africa to help the NGO’s (Non Governmental Organizations) in the aftermath of the atrocities in Rwanda in 1994.
My big hobby was the “Bataviawerf ”in Lelystad. This is a historic shipyard where they build 17th century wooden ships. I was tour guide there for 11 years. Because of my shift duties in Belgium I had quite a bit of time off on regular bases. And because of this I could easily fit in a regular scheme of tourguide duties.
As of June 1st, 2008 everything changed. I’ve had a Functional Retirement, The armed forces considered me to be to old to be in the military. I’m a civilian now.
Nowadays I am a volunteer with the “Nederlands Vesting Museum” in Naarden. It is in the historic city of Naarden. I joined the technical department one day a week in order to do maintenance and repairs on all the stuff in the museum, including a herd of goats, used to keep grass growth under control
To keep me occupied I had a job as a technician with a company called Aqualify. This was a company dealt with cleaning and purifying (waste)water.
But because of the economic problems I had to change career. Presently I work as a Shop Attendant for a ESSO-fuel Station in Bussum
Due to my retirement I stopped working as of December 1st 2018. I enjoy my pension now.