Command Sergeant Major Budding was born in 1971 in Zwolle (the Netherlands) and started his military career in 1990, serving as a conscripted soldier with 41 Armoured Engineer Company in Seedorf, Germany. After fulfilling his compulsory National Service, he joined the Royal Netherlands Army as a professional soldier. In 1994 he graduated as an NCO from the Royal Military School. Since then, he mainly held positions in operational units of the Engineer Troops Regiment, at various levels.
In 1997 he was posted as Section Leader to 111 Armoured Engineer Company in Wezep and was deployed for the first time, to Novi Travnik in Former Yugoslavia (SFOR). His main task was tracking explosives along routes, in cooperation with the EOD Detachment. After this mission, Budding completed the Engineer Diver Course in Hedel, and was subsequently posted as Section Leader at the Divers Platoon in Wezep. In this position, he was deployed in 1999 to Prizren, Kosovo (KFOR). With his unit he was tasked with tracking down explosives in wetlands and conducting underwater reconnaissance. He was deployed to Former Yugoslavia for a second time in 2003, this time in Bugojno, as Deputy Platoon Leader, at the time of the withdrawal of the Dutch forces from SFOR. During this period, his unit dismantled various camps. As a Sergeant, he held two additional positions at the levels of Platoon and Company, in Havelte and Wezep.
In his first assignment as Sergeant Major, Budding was posted to the HQ of 112 Armoured Engineer Company in Havelte. As this unit was preparing for a mission to Afghanistan (ISAF), he was responsible for the unit’s training level. During this deployment to Uruzgan, in 2007, he acted as Engineer Advisor to the HQ of Battle Group and Task Force. Besides, he managed the Engineer Operations and linked Engineer units to the Manoeuver elements. After his return to the Netherlands, he was assigned to S3 of 11 Armoured Engineer Battalion in Wezep. In this position, he was responsible for training on all Search levels within the Battalion and for Search advice to the Battalion Commander. Besides, he trained Engineer sections in tracking IEDs with explosives detection dogs. During this assignment, Budding returned to Uruzgan in 2010 for a brief period, to enhance the operational readiness and effectiveness of the explosives detection dogs. His assignment as Company Sergeant Major to 112 Armoured Engineer Company in Havelte and Wezep was Budding’s last posting as a Sergeant Major. In this position, he was the Company Commander’s Advisor, and also tasked with coaching younger colleagues, guarding the operational training level, and fostering team spirit within the unit.
After his promotion to Warrant Officer, Budding served at the Defence Counter-IED Expertise Centre in Amersfoort. He was able to use his Search experience well in the ‘Defeat the Device’ Branch, developing new techniques, procedures and means to detect, identify and neutralize IED threats. After his promotion to Staff Warrant Officer in 2017, Budding was first posted as Platoon Leader to the Initial Entry Training Centre for NCOs in Ermelo, and then as Battalion Sergeant Major to 101 Engineer Battalion in Wezep. This unit, tasked with constructing complete military infrastructure, such as bridges, roads and camps, can be deployed worldwide, on very short notice. This unit is also often deployed in the event of natural disasters. As a result of the heightened threat level, the battalion has made a transition to a more operational stance. Besides his regular tasks as Battalion Sergeant Major, Budding contributed in this position to the reorganization of the battalion and the development of its personnel. Since 2022, Budding was posted as Staff Warrant Officer to the Engineer Training Centre in Vught. As of 13 August 2024, Budding serves as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader (CSEL) of NATO Mission Iraq. After completing this mission, in mid-2025, he will be posted as Brigade Sergeant Major to 43 Mechanized Brigade in Havelte.
Budding lives with his life companion Mariska, his 22-year-old son Jeroen and 19-year-old daughter Tessa.
Assignments
- 1990 Conscripted Soldier, Seedorf (Germany)
- 1993 Engineer NCO Apprentice, Royal Military School, Weert/Vught
- 1995 Instructor, Centre for Peace Operations, Ossendrecht
- 1996 Section Leader, 111 Armoured Engineer Section, Wezep
- 1999 Deputy Section Leader, Engineer Diver Section, 105 Pontoon Company, Wezep
- 1999 Section Leader, Engineer Diver Section, 105 Pontoon Company, Wezep
- 2001 Deputy Platoon Leader, 111 Armoured Engineer Company, Wezep
- 2004 Sergeant (Operations), 112 Armoured Engineer Company, Havelte
- 2006 Deputy Platoon Leader, 113 Armoured Engineer Company, Wezep
- 2007 Sergeant Major (Training and Operations), 112 Armoured Engineer Company, Havelte
- 2009 Senior Search Advisor S3, 11 Armoured Engineer Battalion, Wezep
- 2011 Company Sergeant Major, 112 Armoured Engineer Company, Havelte
- 2015 Staff Warrant Officer, Defence Counter-IED Expertise Centre, Amersfoort
- 2017 Platoon Leader, Initial Entry Training Centre for NCOs, Ermelo
- 2019 Battalion Sergeant Major, 101 Engineer Battalion, Wezep
- 2022 Staff Warrant Officer, Engineer Education and Training Centre, Vught
- 2024 Command Senior Enlisted Leader, NATO Mission Iraq
Deployments (> 3 months)
- 1997 Section Leader, Armoured Engineer Section, SFOR, Former Yugoslavia
- 1999 Section Leader, Engineer Diver Section, KFOR, Kosovo
- 2003 Deputy Platoon Leader, SFOR, Former Yugoslavia
- 2007 Sergeant Major (Training and Operations), ISAF, Afghanistan
Promotions
- 1994 Sergeant
- 1998 Sergeant First Class
- 2007 Sergeant Major
- 2015 Warrant Officer
- 2017 Staff Warrant Officer, level 3
- 2022 Staff Warrant Officer, level 2
- 2024 Staff Warrant Officer, level 1
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