Cdr Paul Dröge was born on 31 August 1964 in Hilversum, the Netherlands. In 1989 he graduated maritime officer at the Nautical Academy Rotterdam with a Bachelor of Science
Degree in maritime technology. This includes the qualification to sail as chief officer and 3 rd engineer on all merchant ships. In Augustus that year he joined the Royal Netherlands Navy.

After initial training he was promoted officer in February 1990. His first appointment was officer of the watch aboard the frigate HNLMS Pieter Florisz. This appointment included a deployment to the Persian Gulf during operation Desert Shield. During the second half of 1991 Cdr Dröge returned to the Royal Netherlands Naval Academy. On completion of this education, early 1992 he was promoted to Lieutenant junior grade. The following years he served as officer of the watch on several frigates including HNLMS Piet Heyn on which Cdr Dröge did a tour in Standing Naval Force Atlantic which took part of operation Maritime Monitor (former Yugoslavia). In the spring and summer of 1993 he joined minesweeper HNLMS Naaldwijk as the first lieutenant. Completing Principle Warfare Officer Course in 1994 he was promoted lieutenant and appointed in HNLMS Bloys van Treslong as ASW officer where he enjoyed a varied and intensely busy 17 months which included a deployment to the Adriatic Sea for the operation Sharp Guard which then was the maritime blockade of Former Yugoslavia. During 1996 he served first lieutenant on board the hydrographic survey vessel HNLMS Blommendal. During 1997 he served the defence recruitment branch in Amsterdam. Qualifying as instructor the next one and a half year he trained officers and chief petty officers warfare skills at the warfare school in Den Helder. Thereafter he did his second tour as ASW officer on board HNLMS van Speijk undertaking various deployments including a six mouth tour as Dutch West Indian Guard ship. Promoted Lieutenant Commander he served as operations officer on board the combat support ship HNLMS Amsterdam. In 2001 Cdr Dröge returned to shore as a Business Architect ASW at the Centre of Automation of Mission Critical Systems, the Royal Netherlands Navy’s software house for development of Combat Management Systems. After twenty months as battle watch captain at the operations centre of the Chief of Defence in The Hague he returned to sea as the executive officer of HNLMS Zuiderkruis. Early 2008 Cdr Dröge joined the Maritime Warfare Centre in Den Helder as subject matter expert under water warfare. During this appointment he was stationed twice at the OHQ of Operation Atalanta - the EU counter piracy mission in Somalia. Four month in the joint operations centre and a second tour of six month as deputy assistant chief of staff future plans. Promoted to commander in September 2014 he became chief of staff of the Maritime Warfare Centre. Since April 2019 Cdr Dröge is Branch Head Underwater Warfare Technologies at the Defence Material & IT Command. Cdr Dröge is married with Mia. Living in the ancient city of Alkmaar they enjoy their three sons Pim (1997), Max (1998) and Bob (2001). In his rare spare time Cdr Dröge enjoys all terrain biking, road cycling, good food, history and arts. He hold a bachelor in cultural history from the Open University and a master degree in military history from the University of Amsterdam.