Command of minehunters
Woman at the head of the Marine Combat Unit for the first time
March 27, 2024, 4:36 p.m
Historic personnel decision: For the first time, a woman takes command of a naval combat unit. Inka von Puttkamer will in future lead the 3rd minesweeping squadron in Kiel.
For the first time, a woman has now taken command of a naval combat unit. For her, it is “a return to a homeland she loves, to a channel that is familiar to me,” said the new commander of the 3rd Minesweeping Squadron, Inka von Puttkamer, at a ceremonial roll call at the Kiel naval base.
According to the Navy, the 41-year-old frigate captain most recently held a position with NATO. In Kiel, von Puttkamer was already commander of the minehunter “Homburg” and deputy commander of the 3rd minesweeping squadron.
The squadron includes ten minehunters. Von Puttkamer succeeds frigate captain Carsten Schlüter as commander. The 43-year-old is moving to the naval command in Rostock as adjutant to the naval inspector.