PHOENIX 2010 Exercise, Bulgaria/NATO

[HumanCOGRachel]

The Final Coordination Conference for Bulgaria's PHOENIX 2010 Exercise/Experiment underscored the benefits of strong defence cooperation and "need to share" principles at Bulgaria's National Military Training Complex (NMTC) in Charalitza, Bulgaria last week.

In a team effort initiated in March of 2009, ACT's Operational Experimentation (OPEX) Branch has been working with their Bulgarian counterparts in a collaborative experiment plan.

Representatives from ACT's Operational Experimentation (OPEX) Branch helped to identify synergies between national experimentation for Bulgaria, and several ACT experiments.

ACT's prototype Civil Military Fusion Centre/CimicWeb, Joint Planning and Execution Coordination Tool – Civil Military Interaction (JPECT-CMI) imagery, and other experimental tools, will be employed and further developed while supporting PHOENIX 2010.

During the PHOENIX 2010 Exercise and Experimentation execution, participants from international, government and non-government organisations will work together to deal with crisis management challenges.

Concurrently, ACT's OPEX team will be collecting data to identify lessons applicable to ACT Civil Military Interaction experiments and capability development. They will also try to identify avenues for further collaborative experimentation through which Alliance and National or regional requirements can be addressed.

PHOENIX 2010 includes cooperation between NATO, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, and the Joint CBRN Centre of Excellence. PHOENIX 2011 (Energy Flame) will include 9 Balkan nations, all with participating exercise and experimentation elements.

PHOENIX 2010 will be executed November 15-19. For more information, please visit the http://phoenix.mod.bg website, or visit "ACT's Contribution to Bulgaria's PHOENIX 2010" Facebook page.

I am folding in DTRA, US ACE, TRADOC, and the US Embassies in this effort. Connect if you are interested.

[HumanCOGRachel]

Hello everyone,

Please be advised that NATO has a Facebook page set up regarding the PHOENIX 2010 exercise and national expertimentation efforts to be conducted next week at the Charalitza National Military Training Complex - outside of Sofia, Bulgaria: http://www.facebook.com/ACTContributionPHOENIX
Also, you can visit the Bulgarian Ministry of Defence website at:
http://phoenix.mod.bg

VIPs include: The Chairperson of the National Assembly; the President of the Republic of Bulgaria; the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria and members of the Council of Ministers; Directors (heads) of other agencies, organizations and entities; Representatives of local authorities; Foreign Defense and Military Attaches and Representatives; Accredited representatives of the mass media (according to individual list roll).

This is in addition to top representatives from the Multinational CIMIC Group in Italy, the Joint CBRN Centre of Excellence, and other top reps.

[Pete]

There's a slang word in English that is derived from an old Latin term for Bulgarian. It makes you wonder what those old-time Bulgarians were getting up to. Leave it to the Romans to blame it on someone else!

[Pete]

You know, there have been times I've wondered whether the Bulgarian national anthem is anything like the song from the old musical "The King and I":

Getting to know you
Getting to know all about you
Getting to like you
Getting to hope you like me

There are probably intel guys and foreign area officers who know much more about this sort of thing than I do -- I'm merely a humble quadrants-and-deflections kind of guy, with no personal experience in Bulgaria I'm afraid.

[anna]

Bulgarians are very unreliable and corrupt.
Under WAPA, Bulgarian troops where ear-marked as cannon fodder to soften up states like Yugoslavia, Austria and Italy (the later would have folded on the outset and turned coats).

Taking Bulgaria into NATO is a big mystake!!

[Ken White]

Wouldn't want you to get hurt.

[Stan]

Bulgarians are very unreliable and corrupt.
Under WAPA, Bulgarian troops where ear-marked as cannon fodder to soften up states like Yugoslavia, Austria and Italy (the later would have folded on the outset and turned coats).

Taking Bulgaria into NATO is a big mystake!!

You're not suggesting that we take into account Warsaw Pact achievements and applications when considering NATO membership, are you? I believe that 2004 decision was based on Bulgarian Engineering and Mine Sweeping capabilities which contributes to NATO's rapid reaction force and overall broader support (more troops). Bulgaria joining also meant a direct land link to Turkey.

And, just so you don't think I'm totally anal, this potentially NSFW Playboy magazine link is another reason I like Bulgaria and Bulgarians

[Kiwigrunt]

And, just so you don't think I'm totally anal, this potentially NSFW Playboy magazine link is another reason I like Bulgaria and Bulgarians

Now I can't for the life of me see what that has to do with small wars....but I'll have another look.

[HumanCOGRachel]

Hello everyone,

So, the following article took a while to get approved, and covers some generalizations on the experiments covering Human Factors, Civil Military Coordination, and Joint Planning and Execution Coordination, so please take a look and feel free to comment at the PHOENIX Facebook page:

Article: http://www.act.nato.int/component/co...ul-in-bulgaria

Facebook site: http://www.facebook.com/ACTContibutionPHOENIX

Cheers all!
Rach

[HumanCOGRachel]

Hello,

Bulgaria picked up some traction from their landmark November 2010 exercise "PHOENIX 2010." The 4-star in charge of NATO Allied Command Transformation is headed to Romania and Bulgaria in March/April timeframe riding on the coattails of PHOENIX's successes (a collaborative interagency and interservice NATO-Bulgaria exercise).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjXvF-HSLW0

Nine Balkan nations are playing in ENERGY FLAME and the topic is consequence management/energy crises and civil-military cooperation.

Please get in touch if your command has translation capabilities, interpreters, CBRN, infrastructure, or experience working with interior ministries.

[Stan]

Hi Rachel !

Are your invitations open to other NATO countries like Estonia ?

I work subordinate to the MOI but don't recall seeing an invite. Our CBRN and EOD folks would certainly consider attending. Most of our team members have worked as Russian interpreters which may help depending on the participant's ages.

Who's paying? Sorry for that, but if you're working in Bulgaria then you're sure to know where I'm coming from.

Send me a PM for my email address if Estonia Rescue and Disaster Relief "civilians" would be considered. I'll forward the details and invite to my boss.

Regards, Stan

[HumanCOGRachel]

Stan,

Nice to hear from you. Yes, of course all NATO nations can participate - we even have defense attaches from other nations outside NATO involved in the exercise. I will get in touch with you via PM and we can exchange some information. I will get you the contact information of the Danish CDR who is really exciting about collaboration with nations from the civil side.

Cheers,
Rachel

[Stan]

Hey Rachel,

PM sent.

Regards, Stan

[davidbfpo]

Rachel,

PM sent as I know a UK CBRN expert, involved in planning and training. Recently retired from the police.

[Stan]

Hey Rachel,
Wondering if you received my PM as you have yet to reply.

Spoke with our International Relations guy about you today and he has nothing on invitations, but is very interested in getting our Disaster Relief and CBRN folks involved and invited.

The same question however came up this afternoon: Who's sponsoring and how many (from each invited country) are funded ?

Regards, Stan

[HumanCOGRachel]

Hi Stan,

So it's nine nations of: romania, albania, turkey, macedonia, serbia, croatia, B/Hertz, bulgaria, greece, and potentially italy (10). Those nine have signed off to participate in the exercise.

Then there is NATO ACT, MNCG, NC3A, DSTL, NIAG, US ACE, NATO HQ, JCBRN COE, and supporting concepts and technologies from JFCOM, Canada, Danish EMA, and Swedish DC.

Ill inform the Council when the invitations for the IPC are going out.

Cheers,
Rach