The 31st Doctrine and Terminology Panel was held at the French CBRN Defence Centre in SAUMUR from 15th to 19th October 2018. 29 delegates from 14 nations as well as from SHAPE, ACT-SEE, JFCBS, (MCMSB) MAROPSWG, and JCBRND COE met in a beautiful, small French city Saumur. Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, which produce some of France's finest wines.

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The 18th Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC) consequence management field exercise, called ''SRBIJA 2018” was jointly organized by EADRCC and the Ministry of the Interior of Serbia. The exercise was conducted from 8th to 11th October 2018 in and around Mladenovac, Serbia.

The aim of the exercise was to improve interoperability in international disaster response operations and contributes to enhancing national capabilities of NATO Allies and partners.

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This exercise is seen as a major NATO – UN – Serbia exercise, 40 nations and an uncounted number of institutions, IOs, GOs and NGOs were represented reaching more than 2000 people on the ground. Another important detail is the highest level of representatives from NATO and Serbia at the opening ceremony, the exercise being inaugurated by the NATO Secretary General, Jens STOLTENBERG and the President of the Republic of Serbia, Alexander VUCIC.

The CBRN Symposium took place in Berlin/Germany from 3rd to 5th September 2018. German Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community, Federal Ministry of Defence, Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, as well as the Bundeswehr CBRN Defence Command and the CBRN Working Group in the Association of the German Army supported the German Association for Defence Technology to prepare and to conduct the symposium.

The aim of the course was to train qualified students in warning, reporting and hazard prediction of CBRN incidents and strengthen the foundation for integrity, good governance and management within members of the CBRN Warning and Reporting Centre by sharing experiences, challenges, and CBRN Warning and Reporting exercises in order to enhance professionalism.

Read more: CBRN Warning and Reporting Specialists Course Successfully Concluded

An official ceremony of the Change of Command was held at the German CBRN Defence, Safety and Environmental Protection School in Sonthofen on Thursday 13 September 2018. During the ceremony, Colonel Klaus Werner Schiff changed responsibility with Colonel Volker Robert Quante. The ceremony was held under the command of Colonel Henry Neumann, Commander of the Bundeswehr CBRN Defence Command in Bruchsal as the school’s superior unit. He expressed his gratitude to the leaving commander and wished success to new appointed Commander.

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A Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence Centre of Excellence (JCBRN Defence COE) delegation, led by Director Colonel Vratislav Osvald, attended this official ceremony as Colonel Volker Robert Quante was the Centre’s former Deputy Director.