SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --
Capt. Dingeman van der
Steenstraten, Royal Netherlands Air Force 459th Flying Training Squadron T-6 instructor
pilot and native of Haarlem, Netherlands has been in the Royal Netherlands Air
Force for 16 years and is the Instructor of the Week at Sheppard Air
Force Base, Texas, for the week of Mar. 8-14, 2016.
Most significant accomplishments:
Van der Steenstraten’s
most significant accomplishment is becoming a father.
Airman’s story:
“I enlisted in the Royal Netherlands Army in 2000 and got
accepted into the Royal Netherlands Military Academy in 2001,” said van der Steenstraten. “I graduated in
2005 and worked as a mechanized reconnaissance platoon commander until 2007. I
transitioned to the Royal Netherlands Air Force and graduated the Euro NATO Joint
Jet Pilot Training program class 08-03. I flew C-130’s until 2015 and was then
selected to return to Sheppard to become an instructor pilot. Being an
instructor is the best job ever. I am married and am the father of two
wonderful boys.”
Supervisor comments:
“Captain van der Steenstraten is responsible for
mentoring and instructing more than 100 future combat pilots per year for
NATO’s prestigious multinational flying training program,” said Capt.
Christopher Houdek, van der Steenstraten’s
supervisor.