Young Reserve Officers Committee (YROW)

2010-02-05

The YRO Committee is tasked with conducting a variety of professional development activities for junior reserve officers.

The aim of YRO Committee activities is to provide participants with an opportunity to gain an initial understanding of relevant international structures and with a first opportunity to work together in an international environment. They are designed as unique educational opportunities for junior reserve officers up to the rank of Captain (Army/Air Force) or Lieutenant (Navy) or below.

YRO Workshop

This week-long workshop is designed to be a junior reserve officer’s first exposure to a multi-national environment and to colleagues from NATO and PfP nations. It constitutes a unique professional development opportunity for approximately 60 junior reserve officers annually. Junior reserve officers up to the rank of Captain (Army/Air Force) or Lieutenant (Navy) or below work together for a week in an intense international setting. They gain the opportunity to learn about and discuss current defense issues of relevance to NATO and the reserve forces.

YRO Outreach Seminar

Delivered by former YRO Workshop attendees, the YRO Outreach Seminar is a professional development activity conducted annually in spring. It assists with the integration of junior reserve officers from emerging NATO/PfP nations into the YRO Workshop and CIOR.

The YRO Outreach Seminar features a NATO role play designed to familiarize participants with the unique diplomatic rules governing NATO. It is held annually in a new member state of NATO and features a broad range of participating nations.

YRO Platform

YRO Platform is a post YRO Workshop course currently under development. It strives to provide continuing professional development for Junior Reserve Officers who have attended the YRO Workshop. It is designed to be a retention platform for potential future CIOR committee members and to promote interest and association with CIOR.

YRO Committee members


Committee Chair – LCDR John Rothrock (USA) Overall responsibility to CIOR Presidency and Council Overall responsibility for the development of YRO activities
Lt(N) Zofia Gehl (CAN) Project officer Responsible for recruitment and coordination of YRO Workshop facilitators OIC YRO Workshop
Committee Secretary – 1LT Sebastian Hoffmeister (DEU) Support and deputy to Committee Chair in all Committee matters Responsible for coordination and record of Committee decisions and meetings Responsible for communications; website, social media, email
Cpt Christoph Merki (CHE) Project officer Liaison officer responsible for coordinating YRO Workshop input and participation in the CIOR Symposium

Observers (non voting members)

Ad hoc observers that attend Mid Winter Meeting and CIOR Congress are welcomed and preferred to be former YRO Workshop attendees. During the Mid Winter Meeting, they may be tasked by the Chair to undertake specific duties as required. Input from observers ensures that the evolution of YRO development within CIOR is the result of wider consultation across the CIOR community.

Cpt. Janis Vicups (LAT) Project officer OIC YRO Outreach Seminar	Photo missing
1LT Christophe de Villeblanche (FRA) Project officer Liaison officer responsible for coordinating YRO Workshop input and participation in the CIOR Symposium.

The committee is a Non-Universal Access Committee (NUAC) as defined in the CIOR constitution. Observers may be present at committee meetings if approved by committee chair. Committee members serve 2 year terms.

Background

YRO Committee has become firmly established within CIOR as a professional development opportunity for junior reserve officers up to the rank of Captain (Army/Air Force) or Lieutenant (Navy) or below.

The first activity that the committee has conducted was the YRO Workshop that today is recognized and well received by NRFC as a product that CIOR excels at delivering.

Recognizing the success of YRO Workshops, an initiative was established to provide an outreach program for CIOR, addressing junior reserve officers of emerging NATO member states and PfP nations. This initiative has resulted in the YRO Outreach Seminar, which has been held with success for the last couple of years. Host nations were Albania, FYROM, Czech Republic and Latvia.

The YRO Committee has identified a need to foster and maintain an active professional relationship with junior reserve officers who have passed through the YRO Workshop program and wish to further their professional development through CIOR. As such, a proposal for establishing a YRO platform for continued professional development is under development.

In short, the YRO Committee is tasked with:

introducing junior reserve officers to NATO, NRFC , CIOR, CIOMR;
providing a credible professional development experience for junior reserve officers through participation in YRO Workshop, YRO Outreach Seminar and/or YRO Platform
promoting command, leadership and management skills in a multi-national forum;
training junior reserve officers in a joint and combined environment;
enhancing junior reserve officers’ value for future roles within their own national Reserve Forces;
developing international association and partnership;
ensuring the participation of junior reserve officers in CIOR activities;
providing qualified personnel to CIOR and CIOMR;
integrating the YRO Workshop into the annual CIOR Summer Congress.

Contact

E-mail: yrowcommittee@gmail.com
Facebook: Become a fan of the fanpage “YROW CIOR”.