During the change of command ceremony held on 17 December 2009, Lieutenant General Zdzisław Goral, Polish Army, handed over the command of Multinational Corps Northeast (MNC NE) to Lieutenant General Rainer Korff, German Army.
The event took place in the Baltic Barracks with the frosty weather but warm atmosphere. All guests gathered in the Pomeranian Square a few minutes before the ceremony started. Among them there were Danish Chief of Defence General Knud Bartels, Polish Chief of General Staff General Franciszek Gągor, Romanian Chief of General Staff Admiral Marin Gheorghe, Slovenian Chief of General Staff Major General Alojz Steiner, Chief of the German Army General Hans Otto Budde, Chief of the Estonian Army Colonel Indrek Sirel, Chief of the Polish Land Forces Major General Tadeusz Buk as well as commanders of other "sister" NATO commands and headquarters, national units and other representatives of the regional military services, defence attachés or honorary consuls.
The city authorities were represented by among others Voivode of Westpomeranian Voivodeship Mr Andrzej Zydorowicz, Marshall of Westpomeranian Voivodeship Mr Władysław Husejko, City Mayor Mr Piotr Krzystek and Head of City Council Mr Bazyli Baran. Moreover, there were many other representatives of the world of politics, education and culture, the Corps’ friends and supporters as well as members of the Headquarters and adjacent organisations.
Three years of success
The marching Danish, German and Polish military bands, guards of honour and colours as well as Headquarters columns riveted the attention of the whole audience gathered at the Pomeranian Square. The ceremony started as soon as the MNC NE Deputy Commander Major General Ole Køppen reported the readiness of all formations for the change of command. After the MNC NE Commander Lieutenant General Zdzisław Goral’s report, the military superiors to the Corps, Danish Chief of Defence General Knud Bartels, Polish Chief of General Staff General Franciszek Gągor, Chief of the German Army General Hans Otto Budde, Chief of the Polish Land Forces Major General Tadeusz Buk assisted by MNC NE Commander Lieutenant General Zdzisław Goral conducted an inspection of troops. An important moment in the ceremony was raising the NATO flag while the NATO hymn was being played by the military band.
Then, the floor took General Goral. It was the last chance to officially address the Headquarters’ members and invited guests as the Corps Commander. He was talking about major challenges he met during his three-year tour of duty, such as the first mission of the Corps’ personnel to Afghanistan in 2007, sharing mission experiences with other headquarters and commands, increasing the number of participating states as well as developing the Headquarters in many areas including its structure and infrastructure. "You can be proud of your service and work, just as I have been proud to be your Commander", General Goral said to his personnel thanking for three years of effective cooperation. "Thank you for the help and support you shown me during my term of command", he stated asking for the same support for his successor, Lieutenant General Rainer Korff. General Goral also expressed his gratitude for the assistance he and the whole Corps received from the Corps nations, military authorities as well as inhabitants and authorities of Szczecin.
Chief of the German Army General Hans Otto Budde in his speech thanked General Goral for his achievements: "General, you formed a highly capable team", he said emphasizing the efficiency of combining varied military experiences of servicemen coming from 11 nations. This was proven during the first Corps” mission in Afghanistan in 2007. "I am in particular grateful for your commitment to the integration of the German military personnel and their families here in Szczecin", he also added.
"On behalf of the Danish Armed Forces, I thank General Goral as the outgoing Commander for keeping up the military efficiency and soldiering as a basis of it", said Danish Chief of Defence General Knud Bartels. "I wish to express the best of luck to the incoming Commander and he can be assured of our full support", he stated.
Change of Command
As soon as General Bartels finished his speech, the most important moment of the whole ceremony took place. General Goral handed over the MNC NE colours to General Bartels, who, in turn, handed over the MNC NE colours to General Korff. In this way Lieutenant General Rainer Korff became the fifth Commander of the Multinational Corps Northeast.
Afterwards, it was General Franciszek Gągor’s turn to take the floor and address all the gathered. "Well done job, thank you very much!", General Gągor referred to General Goral’s achievements. "There are certainly more challenges ahead, the most important is another ISAF deployment in February next year. I am sure Lieutenant General Rainer Korff will address all challenges and tasks very efficiently and effectively", he also stated.
Unofficial part of the ceremony
As soon as the official part of the ceremony ended, all invited guests headed for the gym, where the reception took place. General Goral had an opportunity to welcome honourable guests by name and thank them for the assistance. Then, he forwarded to General Korff the MNC NE Commander’s insignia – the pen, the MNC NE Commander’s colours and MNC NE badges. Afterwards, General Korff for the first time addressed his personnel as the Corps Commander. He delivered a short speech in Polish, the language of the host nation, and then he continued in English. General Korff said that being the Commander of Multinational Corps Northeast is a source of proud and honour. He thanked his predecessor General Goral for support and warm welcome he has received in Szczecin.
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