Born on 6 June 1962 in Lingen (Ems), Germany. 

Joined the Bundeswehr on 1 July 1982.

Married to Harriet von Sandrart (dance educator); father of four (Max-Casper, born in 1995; Karl-Oskar & Coralie, born in 1997; Philipp-Leonard, born in 2001).

Hobbies: Travelling with the family, culture (cultural literature), sports (hunting, jogging, and playing darts).

1 July 1982 Conscript with Tank Battalion 84 / Lüneburg 

1 August 1983 Commencement of line officer career

1983-1984 Officer training with Tank Battalion 183 / Boostedt

1984-1988 Student of economics and organisation at Helmut Schmidt University / Hamburg

1988-1992 Platoon leader and intelligence officer with Tank Demonstration Battalion 94 / Munster

1992-1993 Company commander with Tank Battalion 84 / Lüneburg

1993-1996 Company commander with Tank Demonstration Battalion 93 / Munster

1996-1998 Student on National General/Admiral Staff Officer Course, Bundeswehr Command and Staff College / Hamburg

1998-2001 General staff officer (G6 Op) at HQ Eurocorps / Strasbourg

2001-2003 Division chief (G3) and Chief of Staff of Armoured Infantry Brigade 7 / Hamburg

2003-2005 Commander, Tank Demonstration Battalion 93 / Munster

2005-2009 Assistant Chief of Military Policy Branch, Armed Forces Staff, FMoD / Berlin

2009-2012 Division chief (G3) with 1st Armoured Division / Hanover

2012-2013 Chief of Branch SE II 1 (Afghanistan mission and Asia-Oceania), Directorate-General for Strategy and Operations, FMoD / Berlin

2013-2016 Commander, Armoured Infantry Brigade 41 / Torgelow 

2016-2017 Division chief (J7) and Deputy Chief of Staff, DEU SHAPE Detachment, Mons / Belgium

2010-2017 Head of Office of the Chief of Defence, FMoD / Berlin

Since April 2018 Commander 1st Armoured Division

Operational Deployments:

06/1999 – 12/1999

SFOR: 

CJ5, DEU Detachment, HQ SFOR, Sarajevo / Bosnia-Herzegovina

05/2002 – 12/2002

EUFOR / SFOR: 

MA to COS, DEU Detachment, HQ MND South-West, Mostar / Bosnia-Herzegovina

01/2011 – 07/2011

ISAF: 

Senior Mentor of 209th ANA Corps / 25th German Contingent ISAF, Mazar-e-Sharif / Afghanistan

Promotions:

07/1986 Second Lieutenant

07/1989 Lieutenant

07/1992 Captain

01/1998 Major

06/2001 Lieutenant Colonel

12/2009 Colonel

01/2014

09/2018 Brigadier General

Major General

Awards and Decorations:

2004 Gold Cross of Honour of the Bundeswehr

1999 Bronze Bundeswehr Foreign Duty Medal (SFOR)

2002 NATO Medal (FORMER YUGOSLAVIA) 

2011 Bronze Bundeswehr Foreign Duty Medal (ISAF AFG)

2011 NATO Medal (ISAF AFG)

2011 Bundeswehr Combat Action Medal (ISAF AFG)