Belgian Armed Forces

The Belgian Armed Forces are the combined national military forces of Belgium. They were established after Belgium became independent in October 1830, and the King of the Belgians is commander-in-chief. The forces comprise five branches, the Belgian Army, the Belgian Air Force, the Belgian Navy, the Belgian Medical Service and the Belgian Cyber Force. Belgium began as a neutral buffer state expected to need little permanent force, but a regular army was soon acknowledged to be necessary. Belgian forces fought in World War I and World War II and sent a volunteer corps to the Korean War, and later took part in missions in Kosovo, Rwanda, Somalia and Afghanistan.