Colonel Henk Kiffen joined the Royal Netherlands Air Force in August 1986 initially as a student pilot. After completion of the Officers course and Survival Course he started with his training as a jet pilot with the ENJJPT programme at Sheppard Air Force Base USA which he was not able to complete.
In 1989 he graduated from the Air Traffic Controller Course and was stationed at Air Force Base Volkel and assigned as a Tower and Radar Controller. During his assignment at Volkel he fulfilled all aspects of an operational Air Traffic Controller including instructorship, several postings for operations abroad (Operation Deny Flight, Deliberate Force and Allied Force) and several management functions.
In 2000 he was assigned as a member of the Project office tasked with the transition of the local ATC radar units into one centralized approach unit at Nieuw Milligen. From 2003 until 2005 he completed his first tour at the Royal Netherlands Air Force Headquarters as staff officer in charge of the ATC at the air bases and later as Head of the section.
In 2006 Col Henk Kiffen graduated from the Joint Netherlands Staff College and was awarded his Master Degree (EMSD) after which he was posted for his second tour at the RNLAF Headquarters.
In November 2009 he was assigned as Commander of the 710 Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) Air Defense Squadron and simultaneously as Commander of the 711 Military Air Traffic Control Centre Squadron at Nieuw Milligen. During his posting he became the first Commander of the new joined 711 Air Control Squadron and was responsible for both Air Defense and Military Air Traffic Control. Following his posting as a Commander at Nieuw Milligen he was assigned in 2013 to the Military Aviation Authority in the Netherlands as the Head of the Airports and Airspace division and responsible for policy development of Air Traffic Management.
In June 2017 he was assigned as Head of the C4ISR branch of the Royal Netherlands Air Force Headquarters in charge of AirC2, Electronic Warfare, ATC, Air Defense, Mission Support (fire brigade etc.) and ISR & Space.
In August 2021 Col Henk Kiffen was appointed as Strategic Advisor Aviation and as direct advisor for the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Air Force. During his career Col Henk Kiffen was awarded with the Royal Netherlands Officers Cross for 35 years of loyal service to His Majesty the King, the NATO Medal for operations in Former Yugoslavia, two Netherlands mission medals for operations in Former Yugoslavia and the Royal Netherlands Air Force recognition award.
Col Kiffen was born on August 13th, 1966 in Haarlem (NL) and lives in Megen (N-Br) with his wife Conny Kiffen-Heinen. Together they have two children. His hobbies are cycling and running.
ASSIGNMENTS
1989 Air Traffic Controller, Volkel AB, NL
2000 Project officer Centralized Approach, Nieuw Milligen, NL
2003 Staff Officer ATC, RNLAF Headquarters, The Hague, NL
2004 Section Head ATC and Air Defense, RNLAF Headquarters, The Hague, NL
2006 Section Head ATC and Air Defense, RNLAF Headquarters , Breda, NL
2009 Commander 710 Air Defense Sqn, Nieuw Milligen, NL
2009 Commander 711 Military Air Traffic Control Centre, Nieuw Milligen, NL
2010 Commander 711 Air Control Sqn, Nieuw Milligen, NL
2013 Head of Airspace and Airports, Military Aviation Authority, Hoofddorp, NL
2017 Branch Head C4ISR, RNLAF Headquarters, Breda, NL
2021 Strategic Advisor Aviation, RNLAF Headquarters, Breda, NL
EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTION
Captain Dec 1992
Major Jun 1998
Lt-Col Jun 2006
Col Jun 2017
MILITARY TRAINING AND EDUCATION
1987 Pilot training ENJJPT, Sheppard AFB, US
1989 Air Traffic Controller Course
1998 Air Force College, Rijswijk, NL
2005 Air Force Staff College, Rijswijk, NL
2011 Battalion Cdr Course, Rijswijk, NL
CIVIL EDUCATION
2001 Operational ATC Supervisor Course
2005 Executive Master Security and Defence
2010 Lean Fundamentals