Two JFCBS Teams participated in Nijmegen Four Days Marches
Jul 22 2024
Brunssum, The Netherlands – From 16 to 19 July 2024, JFCBS again participated in this year’s Nijmegen Four Days Marches. For this 106th iteration of the traditional marches, even two Allied International Marching Teams (AIMT) from Joint Force Command Brunssum took on the challenge to march 40 km on 4 consecutive days – in military formation wearing standard battle dress uniforms and carrying a backpack weighing at least 10 kilogrammes each. Together, 41 members of Headquarters JFC Brunssum representing 9 NATO nations participated in the event.
The International Four Day Marches Nijmegen (Dutch: Internationale Vierdaagse Afstandsmarsen Nijmegen) is the largest multiple day marching event in the world. It is organised every year in Nijmegen in the Netherlands in mid-July as a means of promoting sport and exercise. Originally designed as a military training event for the Dutch Army, over the last 100 years it developed into the international event it is today with more than 40.000 mainly civilian participants and up to 1 million spectators.
During the third day of the marches, the JFC Brunssum Deputy Chief of Staff for Support, Major General Stefan Fix, joined the two JFCBS Marching Teams. “Participating in this event is a gorgeous experience for the teams of our Headquarters. Not only in respect to the physical challenge, but also for the inspiring atmosphere and the encounter with thousands of fellow marchers. As a military team, here you live the true NATO spirit of ‘Stronger Together’”, says General Fix.
Due to the high temperatures, this year the route of the last day was shortened by 10 km. On Friday, the AIMT members who successfully completed the total 160 km of marches were awarded the 4-Day Marches Cross, the ‘Vierdaagsekruis’. JFCBS Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Jean-Pierre Perrin, came to Nijmegen to hand out the well-merited awards. “You well deserve this reward after proving your excellence in the most genuine skills of any soldier, military marching. But you also acted as perfect ambassadors for NATO and HQ JFC Brunssum, demonstrating resilience and cohesion, living our principles of one for all and all for one, since in a marching team like in our Alliance, we only succeed together,” General Perrin said in the award ceremony.