CIOR NEWS

Towards the end of last year, Estonian reserve officers acknowledged the country’s defence forces’ best service members with the Officer of the Year and Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) of the Year awards.   By: Lieutenant Commander Ingrid Mühling, Estonian Defence...

The year 2021 is coming to an end in a few days and it has been another special year, as the Covid-19 pandemic is still present. Moreover, these harsh times are shaping our everyday life, but also our organization and its way of working. While digitalization has...

A hulking C-130J Super Hercules sits on the moonlit tarmac at Larissa Air Base, Greece. A string of human figures emerges from a nearby hangar. Like ants, they make a quick procession into the back of the plane, which is already loaded with aircraft generators, tool...

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — Two separate Air Force Reserve Command airlift wings successfully evacuated hundreds of Americans and allies during the early days of the Afghanistan evacuation operation … and each landed with one more passenger than was manifested....

A message from the NATO Military Committee to all Allied and Partner troops who have served in Afghanistan: Dear troops from Allied and Partner countries who have served in the NATO missions in Afghanistan. This morning, the NATO Military Committee convened to discuss...

The CIOR Council, the organisation’s executive body, and its committee leads, last weekend met in cyberspace for the spring version of the twice-annual In-Between-Meeting (IBM). The chairman of NATO’s National Reserve Forces Committee (NRFC) also participated. By: Roy...

The Finnish Reserve Sports Association’s (Reserviläisurheiluliitto RESUL) winter patrol skill competition was planned for the spring of last year. The Corona pandemic restrictions that were introduced in March canceled “Pirkkajotos” only a day before the event...

After six challenging days at the site of a terrible landslide in the small Norwegian village of Gjerdrum, which left ten people dead, reservists from the UTR-squadron at the Norwegian Home Guard’s district 2 could return home. By: Ole Kristian Haagenrud/Norwegian...

On March 27 last year, the US President signed an Executive Order authorizing mobilization of the Reserve Component in response to COVID-19 operations – a task unlike any in the last hundred years. By: 1st Lieutenant Christi Judd, USA Air Force/CIOR Public Affairs....

Reservists throughout the NATO alliance have been providing a significant and valued contribution to national efforts to deal with the COVID 19 pandemic. Each country has its own story on how reservists have been used. Here are a few examples. By: Sqn Ldr (R) Michael...

It’s soon time for the CIOR Seminar again – which last year proved to be a great success. The exciting theme to be explored is the growing strategic importance of the Arctic. The event is going to be entirely virtual, with no physical attendance – due to Covid-19. By:...

The Chief of the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF), Major General Martin Herem and the Chairman of the Reserve Officers´ Association, Major (R) Andre Lilleleht, have signed the cooperation agreement that will set down main support lines provided by EDF to the Estonian...

The first distance marching event of the Reserve Sports Association (RESUL) of Finland mobilised more than seven hundred marchers this past summer. Marches were performed not only in Finland but also in other countries around the world. By 1st Lt. Susanna Takamaa,...

The declared goal of the two-year German presidency of  #CIOR, which officially commenced on October 2nd, is to increase and underline the resilience and visibility of the reserves. For this purpose, the Presidency has developed a modern logo and thus a distinctive...

Today, 02 Oct 2020, Navy Captain (R) Jan Hörmann – as President – and Major (R) André Roosen as Secretary General – officially assumed the CIOR presidency from the UK during a virtual meeting. By: Dr.  Dennis Bürjes, Lieutenant Colonel (R) German Army/Assistant...

On 1st of July, Germany took over the National Reserve Forces Committee (NRFC) Chairmanship from Poland. With NATO Member States, the NRFC promotes and enhances the utility and interests of Reserve Forces and Personnel as a vital component of the National Forces and...

Only a few weeks after the country got its independence in 1917, Finland organised the first platoon leader course in Vimpeli. This has been considered the beginning of Reserve Officer training in Finland. The first Reserve Officers Course began the 1st of April 1920...

For probably the first time ever, a CIOR representative has briefed at a NATO conference. That happened when IT Support officer (officially Assistant Secretary General Information Technology), UK RAF Squadron Leader Robin Wilkinson in early June gave a presentation to...

The Romanian Reserve Officers Association (AORR) donated 460 medical visors to the Central Military Emergency University Hospital (SUUMC) in Bucharest and the ROL 2 Deployable Military Hospital, in function at the Ana Aslan Hospital in Bucharest. These are in addition...

The Summer Congress scheduled to take plass in Liege, Belgium, at the beginning of August, has been cancelled due to the Corona crisis. This a decision by the CIOR Presidency, after discussion by CIOR’s Permanent Representative with the organisers of the...

Best wishes from CIOR’s Strategic Communication...

First night in the field during last week’s winter warfare course in Sweden. The temparature was minus ten degrees Celsius and it was snowing,  but all students managed to build good shelters and get a good night’s sleep. Behind the seven-day course is the...

Participants at the introductory winter warfare course in Sweden have learned how to extract themselves from icy water safely – a vital part for survival. Reservists from Sweden, Estonia, Norway and the UK have for several days been training on surviving in the...

Camp Ann, Sweden: Reservists from Sweden, Estonia, Norway and the UK have for several days been training on surviving in the field. Among much else they have learned emergency fire lighting drills. The seven-day introductory course, organised by the Swedish Reserve...

CIOR President Colonel (R) Chris Argent paid an office call on Chief of Staff Allied Command Transformation, Vice Admiral Paul Bennett CB OBE, during the CIOR Presidency’s visit to the NRFC Winter Plenary Meeting in Norfolk Virginia. Colonel Argent briefed...

The CIOR delegation participating in the NRFC winter meeting in Norfolk, Virginia last week, Saturday met with Canadian two- and one star Reservist leaders in Ottawa. The CIOR delegation met with Major General Mackenzie OMM CD, Chief of Reserves and Employer Support;...

A team from the CIOR Presidency this week participated in the Winter Plenary Meeting of NATO’s National Reserve Forces Committee (NRFC) in Norfolk, Virginia. By: Roy Thorvaldsen, Lt Col (R) Norwegian Army/ CIOR Public Affairs The meeting took place at the...

The President of CIOR, Colonel (R) Chris Argent, visited Oslo on 17 and 18 January to meet with both the Council of the Norwegian Reserve Officers Federation (NROF) and the Council of the Nordic Presidium. By: Roy Thorvaldsen, Lt Col (R) Norwegian Army/ CIOR Public...

The President of CIOR sends season’s greetings to our all Reserve and Regular colleagues, wherever they may be on duty or with their families, and wishes them a happy, safe and prosperous...

(Updated.) The CIOR President Colonel Chris Argent (UK Army Retd) and CIOR Secretary General Colonel Adrian Walton (UK Army) visited Estonia in November to attend the 101st Anniversary of the formation of the Estonian Defense Forces, and to review the 2019 CIOR Summer...

Youth, sportsmanship and friendship were central elements to the recent visit by the president of CIOR, Colonel (R) Chris Argent and the secretary general, Colonel (R) Adrian Walton to the Republic of South Africa. In meetings with senior leaders of both the regular...

Brussels, 10 October 2019: The CIOR President, UK Colonel Chris Argent (Retd.) last Monday presented the CIOR Annual Report 2018- 19 to the NATO Military Committee (MC). The report – the first in four years – highlighted the breadth of work being undertaken by CIOR on...

Valuable CIOR networks: The US Vice President of CIOR, Brigadier General Michael J. Silva (R) recently attended the retirement ceremony for immediate past Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR). Friday 31 May 2019: – General Curtis M. Scaparrotti was my last...

The presidencies of the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers (CIOR) and it’s sister organization for medics (CIOMR) met in Florence, Italy 25-28 April. The meeting took place in connection with CIOMR’s spring meeting – known internally in the...

CIOR CIMEX 2017 Forging greater CIMIC Resilience in Prague The international Confédération Interalliée des Officiers de Réserve (CIOR), of which South Africa is a part, includes a Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC) Committee. This committee successfully executed its...

MILCOMP 2017 Many challenges awaited this year’s competitors in Prague, but have been mastered very successfully CIOR Military Competition Concurrent with the CIOR Summer Congress 2017 in Prague, more than 200 athletes were scheduled to participate in CIOR’s military...

Sudden Knock-Out or Eventual Points Loss - How Our Security State Will Lose The Fight 2017 CIOR SEMINAR – AFTER-ACTION-REPORT MAY 2017 The 2017 CIOR Seminar, assembling Reserve Officers from some 15 countries, most of them NATO members, took its participants from an...