Korps Commandotroepen

Korps Commandotroepen
Uniform shoulder sleeve insignia of the Korps Commandotroepen (depicting a Fairbairn-Sykes Fighting Knife)
Active	March 22, 1942 - Present
Country	Netherlands
Allegiance	ZM The King
Branch	Royal Netherlands Army
Type	Special Operations Forces
Role	Direct Action Military Assistance Special Reconnaissance
Garrison/HQ	Roosendaal
Motto(s)	Nunc aut Nunquam ("Now or Never")
Colors	Black with Dark Green Border
Insignia
KCT Beret badge
Abbreviation	KCT

The Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) are the special forces of the Royal Netherlands Army. It is one of the three principal units tasked with special operations in the Netherlands (the others being the Maritime Special Operations Forces (NL MARSOF) of the Netherlands Marine Corps and the Brigade Speciale Beveiligingsopdrachten (BSB) of the Royal Marechaussee), and it is deployable anywhere in the world under any circumstance, conducting all conceivable missions from the full spectrum of special operations, including counter-terrorism overseas.

The roots of the KCT go back to World War II. Under the name No.2 (Dutch) Troop, the first Dutch commandos were trained in Achnacarry, Scotland, as part of No. 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando. The unit was formed on March 22, 1942, the birthday of the present KCT. Its purpose was to conduct special operations, which, at the time, were operations that were considered too complex and too dangerous for conventional military personnel. The unit was disbanded in October 1945, but its members continued fighting in the Dutch East Indies, while others formed the Stormschool (1945–1950), located in Bloemendaal. In 1949, the Stormschool relocated itself to the Engelbrecht van Nassaukazerne in Roosendaal, now the home garrison of the present KCT.

Korps Insulinde (1942–1945) was tasked with conducting guerrilla warfare in Sumatra against the Japanese. After the Japanese capitulation, the Korps Insulinde was tasked with the search and rescue of (Dutch) POWs. In November 1945, the unit was disbanded, and its members hooked up with Depot Speciale Troepen and former members of No.2 (Dutch) Troop to form the Regiment Speciale Troepen (1945–1950). This new unit was involved in the Indonesian independence wars after World War II. After Indonesia's independence was acknowledged by the Dutch government in 1949, the RST returned to the Netherlands. On 1 July 1950, on parliamentary recommendation, the RST merged with the Stormschool in Roosendaal to form the present Korps Commandotroepen.