On Monday, March 11, Lieutenant General Daniel Baumgartner, Chief of the Training and Education Command in the Swiss Armed Forces, became the 66th inductee into NDU's International Hall of Fame for his exemplary service as Commander of the Swiss Armed Forces. He is the first Swiss to receive this distinguished honor.
General Baumgartner has achieved much during a career of exceptional service to his country and U.S.-Switzerland common security interests. He earned his Master of Arts Degree in National Security Strategy from the National War College in 2009 and subsequently was selected to head the Swiss Armed Forces Planning Division. He was later assigned as head of the Armed Forces Logistics Organization, and in 2015 he was chosen to oversee training in the Armed Forces Development Programme. His exceptional strategic vision in these roles led him to be chosen as the Commander of the Swiss Land Forces in 2016. In 2017, he was selected to his current position as Chief of Training and Education Command where he is responsible for the overall basic readiness and the training of all Swiss Armed Forces. As a model warrior scholar, he has had extensive experience as both an instructor and strategic leader in the Swiss Armed Forces. He is also the sixth member from the illustrious 2009 National War College class to be inducted into the International Hall of Fame.
The ceremony underscored the high level of honor of General Baumgartner’s designation as an International Fellows Hall of Fame inductee and was presided over by the National Defense University President (NDU-P), Vice Admiral Fritz Roegge and the NWC Commandant, Brigadier General Chad Manske. General Baumgartner addressed the crowd of distinguished guests, family, and friends, including former classmate MG Stefano Conte and Ms. Edelstein, and expressed his honor to be back at NDU while giving special thanks to his former sponsor and adviser Tom Hale. He emphasized the tremendous impact his NDU experience had on his career: “The profound discussions on military and strategic issues have enabled me to broaden my horizons and provide me with knowledge on which I rely on until today.” He noted four ideals at the heart of NDU’s mission that all officers should remember: we must have “people take the center stage,” we must have the “courage to speak one’s personal opinion to the policy makers, even if it means putting one’s own career at risk,” we must have “enthusiasm” to complete the tasks entrusted to us, and we must have “endurance” to confront today’s challenges.
The inductee was celebrated by NDU-P and other leaders at an elegant reception directly following the ceremony. Thank you to all who participated in this memorable day, to recognize the achievements of General Baumgartner and this honor, a powerful reminder of the strength of the global network that makes up the NDU family.