[4] The emblem of 11 Air Assault Brigade is made up of a diving falcon on a maroon shield with two crossed swords underneath.

The EM stands for Expeditionaire Macht, Expeditionary Force, which is a tradition derived from the emblem of the First Division "7 December".

These battalions, knowns as Dutchbats, were deployed between February 1994 and November 1995 and tasked to execute United Nations Security Council Resolution 819 in the Bosniak Muslim enclaves and the UN-designated "safe zone" of Srebrenica during the Bosnian War.

Subsequently, the Serb forces, under Mladić's command, led Srebrenica's Bosniak male inhabitants into the mountains, where thousands of them were massacred.

[5] The Netherlands Armed Forces have had a military presence in Afghanistan since the early stages of Operation Enduring Freedom in October 2001.

In December 2001, the Dutch government decided to deploy a reinforced company of approximately 200 personnel to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The Dutch contribution to the Battlegroup of TFU always consisted of a company of 13 Infantry Battalion, in addition to other troops of the brigade.

The Dutch forces were tasked with conducting reconnaissance and gathering intelligence on the various rebel factions that were active in their sectors.

After two years, during which the Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) and Netherlands Maritime Special Operations Forces (NLMARSOF) provided the core fighting element, troops 11 Air Assault Brigade took over these duties in December 2016.

[7] On 6 July 2016, two men of the brigade, Sergeant Michel Hoving and Corporal Kevin Roggeveld, were killed during a training accident with a faulty mortar.

The brigade operates either by foot, using light vehicles or using tactical or strategic airlift capabilities (such as helicopters or airplanes).

The air manoeuvre warfare conducted by the brigade makes it especially effective for operations behind enemy lines, to swiftly gain hold of strategic locations such as bridges until being relieved by mechanised infantry and cavalry units.

Troops that have undergone specialised training are qualified to assist the army's Special Operations Forces (SOF), the Korps Commandotroepen, as a designated support element.

The infantry has a wide variety of means to performs its tasks and carries enough equipment in its backpacks to fight in the field for 72 hours.

The Spike medium-range anti-tank guided missiles are located on the back of the vehicles and can be deployed by an individual soldier.

They are deployed behind enemy lines, often days before the main assault force arrives; they therefore play a crucial role as ISTAR components for the battalion and brigade headquarters.

Their independent operational capacities are supported by use long-range communications and SF Medics, the latter being capable of providing prolonged field care if needed.

The platoon operates in small squads of 6 men, all Pathfinders are military free-fall (MFF) qualified and thus capable of conducting HAHO and HALO airborne insertions.

Mobility support enables friendly troops to maneuver unobstructed by providing Improvised Explosive Device (IED) detection and disposal, clearing minefields or constructing bridges.

The company has access to a wide variety of vehicles for its tasks, ranging from large trucks and forklifts to the Luchtmobiel Speciaal Voertuig.

The company has recently played a significant role in the innovation of parachute supply (cargo delivery airdrops) which did not yet exist within the Netherlands Armed Forces.

A Colonel of the western regional military command is part of the brigade staff and commands national operations in the provinces of North Holland, South Holland en Utrecht, which are all part of the area of responsibility of the 11 Air Assault Brigade.