Roland de Vries

Major General Roland de Vries SD SM MMM was a South African Army officer. He served as Deputy Chief of the South African Army before his retirement in 1999.[2]

Roland de Vries SD SM MMM
Born	Calvinia, Cape Province
Allegiance	South Africa
Service/branch	South African Army
Years of service	1965 – 1999
Rank	Major General
Service number	01506948PE[1]
Commands held	Deputy Chief of the SA Army OC 61 Mechanised Battalion Group OC South African Army College GOC 7 South African Infantry Division Chief of Joint Training Division
Battles/wars	Operation PROTEA (1981) Operation MODULER (1987) Operation PRONE (1988)
Awards	Southern Cross Decoration (SD) Southern Cross Medal (SM) Military Merit Medal (MMM)
Spouse(s)	Henriette
Other work	Businessman

Military career

Roland de Vries joined the South African Army in January 1964, qualified as an officer in January 1964 and retired as the Deputy Chief of the South African Army in April 1999. He served in various training and operational positions.

Command

He commanded amongst others, 61 Mechanised Battalion Group, the South African Army College, 7 South African Infantry Division and the Joint Training Division of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF).[2]

Operations

His operational experience included various military operations in the former Rhodesia, South West Africa (Namibia) and Southern Angola. Some of these were Operation Protea (1981), Moduler (1987) and Prone (1988) in Southern Angola.[2] The latter two mentioned high intensity conventional battles subsequently led to the peace accord being signed between South Africa, Angola and the Cubans in New York on 22 December 1988.

Ratel Programme

He was a major contributor to the development of the Ratel IFV infantry fighting vehicle and its subsequent combat system and doctrine during the seventies.

His book on mobile warfare, Mobile Warfare – a perspective for Southern Africa, was published during August 1987 in South Africa, while he was a colonel. This book outlined his thinking on the development of operational concepts and military doctrine for mobile conventional warfare within the Southern African context. He is credited with being the main driver behind these concepts within the South African Army.[2]

With the SANDF

Gen de Vries led the Transformation Team of the newly created South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in 1997 in developing a new integrated Leadership, Command and Management Concept for the Department of Defence.[2]

In 1997 he was appointed Chief of Joint Training and in 1998 as Deputy Chief of the SA Army. This role entailed developing a new military strategy for the SA Army as well as planning and managing the army's transformation process.

He retired as the Deputy Chief of the South African Army in April 1999.[2]

Life outside the military

Gen de Vries is married to Henriette and they have four children Roland (Jnr), Elmarie, Melanie and Pieter.

He currently manages his own business, but remains engaged in advisory support for corporate security services and the transformation initiatives of armies in Africa. His memoirs, entitled Eye of the Firestorm, was published in May 2013.[2]

Awards and Decorations

General de Vries was awarded the following:[2]

• Southern Cross Decoration (SD)
• Southern Cross Medal (SM)
• Military Merit Medal (MMM)
• Pro Patria Medal
• Southern Africa Medal
• General Service Medal
• Unitas Medal
• Good Service Medal, Gold (30 Years)
• Good Service Medal, Silver (20 Years)
• Good Service Medal, Bronze (10 Years)

• 61 Mechanised Battalion Operational Service Badge

• Parachute Wings (South Africa) (Advanced, Freefall)

References

1. "SADF/SWATF/SAP Veteran Members Roll". sadf.info. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
2. "Senior Offisiere in Bevel - Senior Officers in Command". sadf.info. Retrieved 5 January 2015.

Further reading

• Scholtz, Leopold (2013). The SADF in the Border War 1966-1989. Cape Town: Tafelberg. ISBN 978-0-624-05410-8.
• de Vries, Roland (2013). Eye of the Storm. Strength Lies in Mobility. Tyger Valley: Naledi. ISBN 9780992191252.
• Steenkamp, Willem (1989). South Africa's border war, 1966-1989. Gibraltar: Ashanti Pub. ISBN 0620139676.
• Wilsworth, Clive (2010). First in, last out : the South African artillery in action 1975-1988. Johannesburg: 30 Degrees ̊South. ISBN 978-1920143404.