CIOMR

01/12/2025

🚨 Last call for applications for the Junior Medical Reserve Officer Workshop at the Winter Meeting, 2026.🚨

Open to all junior officers (OF1-OF3) of medical career groups (Drs, Nurses, Dentists, MSOs etc.) from NATO and partner nation countries. 🏥 🩺

Email JMROC.CIOMR@gmail.com for more information and an application pack ASAP to secure your spot.

Ensure you have COC approval before applying through your national representative.

22/11/2025

We were privileged to close our conference with reflections from the UK Surgeon-General, Major General Phil Carter, on the medical contribution to fighting power.

General Carter posed a clear challenge to the group: “Military medical practice in the current operating environment is going to be very different to civilian practice.” He highlighted the significant and growing challenges we face in delivering military healthcare, especially across an extended patient care pathway.

Given this evolving landscape, he emphasised the need to rethink the composition and structure of our clinical teams to remain effective and resilient. He also reminded us that medical facilities are now very much considered targets, underscoring the importance of survivability skills for all medical personnel — .

The Surgeon-General’s remarks brought a thought-provoking close to a compelling day. They broadened our understanding of potential future conflict zones, reshaped our expectations of deployed healthcare, and challenged us all to prepare now for what may be asked of us.

22/11/2025

UKRFA x CIOMR Virtual Conference 🌎

COL Peter Olsen (USA) continued today’s session with a sobering assessment of how a peer-on-peer LSCO environment would shape medical capability both domestically and on deployed operations. His insights offered a stark reminder of the scale, complexity, and urgency of the challenges we face across the Alliance as we prepare for LSCO.

As we move into the second half of the conference, we shift focus to a deep dive on UK Medical Forces across the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force—examining how each Service is adapting, innovating, and preparing its medical capability to meet the evolving demands of large-scale combat operations.

22/11/2025

UKRFA x CIOMR Conference

Rear Admiral (Retd) Joergen Berggrav (Norway) provided a compelling overview of the operational challenges faced in the High Arctic, emphasising the evolving strategic importance of the Arctic Circle in the context of climate change.

We then heard from Lt Col Erik Bottcher (Australia), who highlighted the scale and impact of DNBI challenges in LSCO, with particular focus on the realities of operating across the Indo-Pacific region.

Another set of insightful sessions shaping our shared understanding of future operating environments.

Photo from NYT article:
https://www.nytimes.com/card/2025/05/31/world/americas/us-canada-nato-arctic

22/11/2025

UKRFA x CIOMR Conference is in full swing!

We opened with an excellent keynote from Major General Marc Overton, Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Reserves and Cadets). He delivered valuable insights on the future direction of UK Defence, the evolving role of the Reserve Forces, and highlighted the SDSR’s commitment to growing the UK Reserve component as funding allows.

Next, Brigadier Jaish Mahan, DComd 1st UK Division and President-Designate of CIOMR, set UK Defence firmly within the wider NATO context. His session sparked meaningful discussion on the readiness of reserve forces worldwide for LSCO.

A strong start to an important day of collaboration and learning. More to come!

19/11/2025

💻 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE ALERT!🌍

The UK CIOMR delegation is happy to announce the British Tri-Service Medical Reserves Conference is going ONLINE!

Theme: LSCO (Large-Scale Combat Operations) through the lens of lethality - a worldwide view.

🗓️ When: 22 November 2025 (0845 GMT start)
📍 Where: Online (Virtual Event!) - link sent on confirmation of Partner force status)
👤 Who: Open to ALL RANKS Reservists across the UK Armed Forces and INTERNATIONAL Armed forces (til 15:45 GMT)

Why Attend?

* Hear from Maj Gen Marc Overton (ACDS Reserves & Cadets).
* Gain strategic perspectives on threats and challenges across the Indo-Pacific, High Arctic, and the Middle East.
* Learn about Medical Capabilities updates from the British Army, RAF, and Navy (Maritime Role 3).
* Explore the impact of Next-Generation Warfare (Drones).

Secure your spot! Talk to your Chain of Command and register now via the link provided below!

https://forms.office.com/e/AxVYpugagc

Questions? Let us know in the comments

25/10/2025

🇩🇪 CIOMR In-Between Meeting | Munich 2025

CIOMR delegates are meeting in Munich this weekend for the In-Between Meeting, bringing together medical reservists and military healthcare professionals from across NATO.

This event plays a vital role in shaping the next year of CIOMR activity, fostering international collaboration and aligning strategic priorities across the alliance.

📢 Information and applications for our JMROW / MWM 2026 session will be released soon — stay tuned!

04/08/2025

📅 31 July 2025 — Day 4: Post-Conflict Health Reconstruction and the role of the Reserves.

Powerful discussions at the Summer 2025 Workshop on Post-Conflict Health Reconstruction.

🌍 From restoring health services to strengthening resilience, leaders explored how NATO can support stability and equity in recovery.

💡 Grateful for insights from Gen. Martin Bricknell, Capt. Jeff Ricks, our Global Health Engagement and JMRO teams.

This vital topic brought home the human side of strategy — and the enduring role of military medics even after the last shot is fired.

The afternoon saw the CIOMR Executive Meeting, where strategic direction, future planning, and discussion took place.

03/08/2025

31/07/2025

Huge thank you to the Universidad Francisco de Vitoria - Madrid an honour to be hosted!

30/07/2025

📅 30 July 2025 — Day 3: South-Facing Strategy & Operational Planning

Understanding NATO’s Southern Flank 🌍🧭
Today we joined our CIOR colleagues at the University Francisco de Vitoria for a deep dive into NATO’s Southern Neighbourhood. The Symposium featured Professor Ana Santos Pinto and expert panels discussing evolving threats and fragile partnerships in the South.

Afternoon breakout sessions explored conceptual frameworks for defining “The South” — a key step in medical planning, resource allocation, and policy shaping.

Meanwhile, CIOMR members also supported JMROW operational planning exercises, contributing medical insight to scenarios involving cross-border crises and evacuations.

A strong day of thinking globally and acting jointly.

More to come!