Enhancing Military Preparedness - BALTDEFCOL Hosts Managing Contemporary Crisis Module

Date: (04-03-2025)
Tartu, Estonia – On March 3 and 4, 2025, the Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) hosted an essential "Managing Contemporary Crisis" module, supported by a Mobile Education and Training Team (METT) from the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE). This module was part of the ongoing Joint Command and General Staff Course and gathered an impressive audience of 79 students from 15 different countries.
The training covered a wide range of critical topics relevant to contemporary military operations, including the NATO Response System, Disaster Risk Reduction, CUOE, the role of Artificial Intelligence in the Decision-Making Process, strategies for resilience, and the implications of climate change on military operations. These subjects are indispensable in preparing future leaders to effectively manage and respond to crises.
Participants engaged in two practical sessions that reinforced their learning. The first task focused on Risk Analysis and Risk Strategy, while the second involved the development of AI-based capabilities. The training audience was notably active, demonstrating strong engagement during lectures and showcasing their skills through practical tasks and presentations.
At the conclusion of the course, the METT from the CMDR COE received words of gratitude from the Dean of BALTDEFCOL in recognition of their exemplary contribution. The Dean expressed a strong desire for continued cooperation between the two NATO-certified institutions, highlighting the importance of such collaborations in enhancing military education and training.
This dynamic module not only enriched the participants' understanding of managing contemporary crises but also reinforced the value of international partnerships in building the capabilities of future military leaders.
Link to the BALTDEFCOL news - https://www.baltdefcol.org/news/cmdr-coe-enhances-baltic-defence-college-training-with-expertise-in-crisis-management
News

The South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) was established in 1999 and is currently located in Larissa. The SEEBRIG consists of six NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) nations: Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM, Greece, Romania, and Turkey and has a purpose to promote regional stability and security in South-Eastern Europe.
» read more

A Mobile Education and Training Team (METT), comprised of CMDR Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), conducted from 11 to 13 April 2016 a Disaster Response Operations Course at South-Eastern Europe Brigade (SEEBRIG) HQ, Larissa, Greece. Thirty five participants from SEEBRIG HQ – representatives from Albania, Bulgaria, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia[1], Greece, Romania, and Turkey took part and successfully completed the course.
» read more
One year after the decision of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) for the accreditation of the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence, the Centre celebrates its activation as a NATO Military Body.
» read more
The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Course took place from 21 to 25 March 2016 at the CMDR COE.
The aim of the course is to provide the attendees with basic knowledge to NATO Crisis Management fundamentals, NATO Crisis Response System, and its complementary elements - NATO Crisis Management Process, Civil Emergency Planning, and Operations Planning, as well as Disaster Response main actors.
» read more
Headquarters, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (HQ SACT) in cooperation with the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE), successfully conducted the 2016 COE Legal Advisors (LEGADs) Conference in Sofia on 24-25 February 2016.
» read more
Ministry of Interior, supported by Civil-Emergency Planning Representative at Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Bulgaria to NATO, organized and conducted from 17 to 18 February 2016 CEP Workshop: Towards Operational, Coherent and Effective Civil Crisis Response Measures.
» read more
The Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) in cooperation with the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) conducted a Lessons Identified Conference for the EADRCC Exercise Ukraine 2015 in Sofia on 25-27 January, 2016.
» read more
You are cordially invited to attend and participate in the Kick - Off meeting of the NATO M&S Group 147 “M&S Support for Crisis and Disaster Management processes, and Climate Change implications”.
This event will take place on 17th and 18th March 2016 at the Arena Di Serdica Hotel in Sofia (Bulgaria).
» read more
CMDR COE would like to share with counterparts, collaborators and the whole crisis management and disaster response community of interest its first good news for the New 2016.
» read more
The Training Requirements Analysis (TRA) workshop for the discipline Military role and tasks in Crisis Management/Disaster Relief was held on 13-14 January 2016 in Shipka Hotel in Sofia, Bulgaria. The workshop was attended by more than 20 participants from eight EU countries (AUT, BEL, GER, BUL, FIN, CYP, POL, ROM) and EU Military Training Group (EUMTG). The Working Group comprised experts from the Bulgarian National Defense College, other COEs, Defense Ministries and EU institutions.
» read more
CMDR COE has executed successfully from 1 to 3 December 2015, for the second consecutive time a course with the aim of providing Strategic Decision Makers with comprehensive knowledge of NATO Crisis Response Operations Planning.
» read more
CMDR COE successfully conducted the first Disaster Management Course from 17th to 19th November 2015.
During the 3-day course participants acquired basic knowledge related to disasters as a phenomenon, the disaster management process and its close relation to the risk management process, as well as the main players and mechanisms in disaster response.
» read more
CMDR COE successfully conducted for the second consecutive time the Crisis Response Operations Planners Professional Development Course from 20th to 22nd October 2015.
The aim of the course was directed at acquisition of comprehensive knowledge related to Crisis Management in NATO, functioning of NATO Crisis Response System with emphasis on NATO Crisis Response Planning at operational level.
» read more
On October 14-15, 2015, the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) hosted its Steering Committee Meeting for the third year.
The annual sessions are the venue where the Framework Nation and Sponsoring Nations set out all required prerequisites to be provided by the CMDR COE every year.
» read more
The Sofia Military Attaché Corps has paid a visit to the Crisis Management and Disaster Response COE. The attaches were familiarized with the ongoing projects objectives of the Centre and met with its staff members. Col Roussinov, CMDR COE Director presented the main activities and focused attention to their significant contribution to the enhancing of nationwide capabilities for crisis management and disaster response.
» read more
The CMDR COE has carried out its third annual Interagency Interaction Seminar at Boyana Residence, Sofia, Bulgaria in the period 8-9 JUN 2015.
The keynote speakers of the seminar were Mr. Dimitar Kyumyurdzhiev – Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr. Guenter Bretschneider - Head of the CEPOS, IS, NATO HQ, RADM Chris Sadler - Reserve Deputy Director, Maritime Operations U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Col Vassil ROUSSINOV – CMDR COE Director.
» read more
The CMDR COE is pleased to announce the launch of its third Interagency Interaction Seminar combined with the Urbanisation Experiment Final Coordination Conference (FCC) and Experiment Control Training Session.
The two major events are scheduled to take place at Boyana Residence, Sofia, Bulgaria in the period 8-12 JUN 2015.
The Interagency Interaction Seminar will be held over the course of two days - 8-9 JUN, 2015.
» read more
On May 27th 2015 the Bulgarian Deputy Defence Minister, Mr. Dimitar Kyumyurdzhiev formally opened the Partnership Real time Information, Management and Exchange system (ePRIME) training course. This event is organized by the Cooperation and Regional Security Division, NATO HQ International Military Staff, led by Rear Admiral Emil Eftimov. This course is hosted by the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Center of Excellence (CMDR COE).
» read more

The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Course was successfully conducted from 19 to 21 MAY 2015 by CMDR COE.
The aim of the course was to provide the attendees with theoretical foundations of NATO Structure and Crisis Management. In addition, the teamworks allowed the participants to apply the theoretical knowledge into practice interacting with respective NATO entities.
» read more
CMDR COE is pleased to announce that its third annual seminar for Crisis Management and Disaster Response Interagency Interaction will be held at the Boyana Residency, Sofia from Monday 8th June to Tuesday 09th June 2015.
Three ideas underlie this year seminar as clustered in the shape of three plenary sessions.
» read more

The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) is delighted to announce that the on 31st March the silence procedure by NAC has ended and the Centre has earned status as the 21st NATO COE and its activation as a NATO Military Body with a granted international status under Article 14 of the Paris Protocol, as recommended by HQ SACT.
» read more

After successful conduction of the seminar "Visualizing Implication of Climate Change on Military Activities and Relationships" in 2013, its successor "Building Resiliency and Decreasing Vulnerability through Climate Change Adaptation" was unveiled on 30 March 2015. Commodore Mihaylov, director of the Operations and Training Directorate - Bulgarian MOD, formally opened the seminar in Triaditza Hall at Grand Hotel Sofia. The event brings together flag-level representatives of governmental bodies from several NATO countries and 4 PfP nations. It is hosted again by CMDR COE and organized in partnership with the U.S. European Command.
» read more
The aim of this hybrid training event is to enhance Balkan States′ capabilities to respond to a regional crisis while testing and improving interoperability of their Modeling and Simulation capabilities.
The IPC organized by Joint Force Command, was held in Charalitsa on 18 and 19 of March 2015. Participants from Ankara, Athens, Belgrade, Bucharest, Podgorica, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Tirana and NATO – JFTC took part in the meeting.
The busy schedule of the event included brief and discussions on the EXPLAN, Geo-strategic situation and initial assessment. Fruitful syndicate work with important deliverables for the exercise development process were held.
» read more
The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) successfully conducted the pilot Higher Command Crisis Response Operations Course from 24th to 26th of February 2015.
The aim of the course was to introduce the attendees to the competences and tools, enabling successful application of solutions in response to crisis in national or international environment.
The objectives were fully covered over the course of three days which resulted in common understanding on NATO Crisis Management and Political-Military relations and armed the participants with proper tools for management of main activities connected to Political-Military Estimate at Strategic Level.
» read more
On Dec 16th, 2014, the Bulgarian Deputy Defence Minister, Mr. Dimitar Kyumyurdzhiev formally opened the Final Adaptation Planning Conference (FAPC) for the Crisis Management Exercise (CMX) 2015. Involving 153 participants from NATO states plus Australia, Japan and Ukraine it had the aim to finalize and adapt the training efforts in order to carry out successfully the upcoming CMX 2015 as effectively and efficiently as possible. "We, representatives of all member states, must be responsible for ensuring that we have in place crisis management and organization capable for managing any unexpected situation. We have to maintain and further develop our capabilities as to fulfill the expectation that the public has entrusted us", pointed Mr. Kyumyurdzhiev in his opening speech.
» read more
The Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) successfully conducted the pilot Crisis Response Operations Planners Professional Development Course from 26th to 28th November 2014.
Numerous experts attended the course including representatives from the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence, JFC, Army, Chief Directorate Fire Safety and Civil Protection under the Ministry of Interior, Bulgarian Red Cross, as well as representatives from the Defence Administration Office and the Ministry of Human Resources of Hungary, and the CCD COE, Estonia.
» read more
On 24-25 November 2014, the Crisis Management and Disaster Response Centre of Excellence (CMDR COE) hosted two important events – the 2nd Steering Committee Meeting and the Accreditation Visit from HQ SACT.
During the Steering Committee meeting on 24 November, the SC members approved the proposed Program of Work 2015 of the Centre as well as the proposed CMDR COE budget estimates for FY-2015.
» read more
On 22 October 2014, the Deputy Chief of Defence, Major General Konstantin Popov opened the Flag-level Strategic Communications Course.
Organized by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria and CMDR COE in partnership with HQ SACT and STRATCOM COE, the course brings together flag-level representatives of governmental bodies from 11 countries - with the goal to enhance the common understanding in the field of Public Diplomacy, Public Affairs, Information Operations and Psychological Operations.
» read more

CMDR COE is pleased to announce that COL Jarosław KUBISZ is joining the Centre to run our Transformation Branch activities.
COL Jarosław KUBISZ representing the Polish Armed Forces (PAF). He finished officers′ military school in 1994, and Academy of National Defence in 2002. Last time he served inter alia in Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the PAF and Crisis Management Centre of the Ministry of National Defence. In both mentioned above institutions he has dealing with crisis management matters in PAF and NATO as well.
» read more