Friday September 1 change of command ceremony took place at Odense Harbour. The navy personnel defied the rain and mustered on the pier in front of the environmental protection vessel GUNNAR THORSON and the command ship THETIS. Each vessel represents the two extremes of the tasks of the Danish navy.
Palle Cortes, who also earlier has been the commander of DATG, expressed in his inaugural address that he intends to lead DATG according to three basic values: Professionalism, flexibility and safety.
“Professionalism is the basis for everything we do,” the commodore said and carried on by stating “My many years in international setting has convinced me that we in this respect have nothing to be ashamed of in the Danish Navy, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t improve ourselves.”
Admiral Danish Fleet, Rear Admiral
Nils Wang, and Chief of Staff Danish
Task Group, Commander s.g. Gustav
Lang.
Photo: Guy Toremans, BE |
“We must be able to do everything from humanitarian aid to actual war and we must be able to change from one to another with very short notice. Yes, sometimes we have to do both at the same time,” Cortes continued. The commodore stressed flexibility, which is necessary in a world of constant change.
“ … last, but not least, we have to manage our tasks in a safe and secure way,” the commodore stated and emphasized that even though live operations often have the consequence of balancing safety with the accomplishment of the operations, minimizing risk is crucial.
According to Admiral Danish Fleet, rear admiral Nils Wang, who also participated in the ceremony, the fundament for bringing DATG one step further, is almost ready. The rear admiral underlined the two support ships ABSALON and ESBERN SNARE, which in a near future will be able to function as very capable command ships. Furthermore, Wang mentioned the increasing political understanding and will to use units in international operations, which of cause is the base of any possible deployment of DATG internationally.
The change of Conmmand ceremony is
about to begin.
Photo: Guy Toremans, BE |
Admiral Danish Fleet ended his speech with the following welcome the new Commander Danish Task Group: “I look forward to work with you again and it is my sincere wish that we together, from our different positions, will see DATG in the role for which the staff was originally created, namely as a Task Group staff in an international operation.”
Commander Danish Task Group, Commodore Palle Cortes Speech
Admiral Danish Fleet, Rear Admiral Nils Wang’s speech
Additional photos