The confederation history between armed forces’ reservists dates back to pre-World War II times, when connections between reserve officers corps between France, Belgium and The Netherlands were formed. These connections were however abolished during the War, but were re-established in 1946. The officers’ international reservist organisation was formally founded in 1948 as the Interallied Confederation of Reserve Officers or CIOR in accordance with its French name.
The founding of AESOR
Although many international ties had been formed already earlier, the non-commissioned officers weren’t formally organized in an international confederation until 1963, when the, then only Europe-based organization, Association Européenne des Sous-Officiers de Réserve or AESOR was founded on 1 June 1963 in the Toulon Naval base in France. The initiative to the international NCO organization came from the French national reserve NCO executive association, FNASOR (Fédération Nationale des Associations de Sous-Officiers).
Since the confederation’s member base has since expanded widely beyond its original European context, the confederation agreed unanimously on 22 February 2013 to change its name to Confédération Interalliée des Sous-Officiers de Réserve (CISOR).
First member countries and presidency
The first members consisted of reserve NCO’s in France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Federal Republic of Germany. The first presidency was held by France with Staff Sergeant, Abbot Henri Pistre as president. Staff Sergeant Pistre, who had entered the reserve in 1922, became a priest in 1923. Having a past in professional sports, father Pistre was a multitalented athlete and is especially remembered as a rugby player. He ended as chair for the French Olympic rugby team, Castres olympique, even functioning as the head coach for the foremost rugby team in France between 1934 and 1935.
Military sports and competitions
It was father, reserve Staff Sergeant Henri Piste’s athletic past that gave the spark to the creation of the international NCO organization, as he saw it as important to create arenas for reservists to compete and measure themselves against each others. Staff Sergeant Henri Pistre’s presidency during the first 2 years of AESOR was instrumental in embedding military competitions and sporting events as a core element within the confederation. Military competitions and sporting events between member countries has ever since been an important part of AESOR and later CISOR.
Presidencies
During AESOR, the presidency varied between 1 and 2 year tenures. Since 2012 the presidency of CISOR rotates bi-annually, on even years. The president is usually the president-nation’s reservist/reserve NCO organisation’s president/chair. Typically the president is a senior non-commissioned officer and holds a rank equivalent to Sergeant 1st class through Sergeant Major (NATO OR 7-9). There are, however, some exceptions. During France’s second presidency of AESOR, the president was the Inspector of the Reserves of the French Armed forces, General Marcel Buffin.
The first female President of CISOR will be the confederation’s 33rd president, Finland’s Sergeant Major Minna Nenonen, elected for presidency 2024–2026.
Below is a list of presidencies since the creation of AESOR.
- Sergeant-chef, Abbé Henri Pistre, FRANCE, 1963–1966
- Adjudant Henri Leclercq, BELGIUM, 1966–1968
- Oberbootsmann d.R. Siegfried Hermann, GERMANY, 1968–1969
- Adjutant Unteroffizier Emile Fillettez, SWITZERLAND, 1970–1971
- Général Marcel Buffin, FRANCE, 1972–1973
- Vizeleutnant Johann Hechenberger, AUSTRIA, 1974–1975
- Adjudant Pierre van Hove, BELGIUM, 1976–1977
- Oberfeldwebel Werner Frank, GERMANY, 1978–1979
- Adjutant Unteroffizier Viktor Bulgheroni, SWITZERLAND, 1980–1981
- Vizeleutnant Hermann Loidold, AUSTRIA, 1982–1982
- Vizeleutnant Herbert Simmer, AUSTRIA, 1983–1983
- Sergeant-chef Charles de Giafferi, FRANCE, 1984–1985
- Adjudant Edward Majois, BELGIUM, 1986–1987
- Hauptfeldwebel Klaus Günnewig, GERMANY, 1988–1989
- Adjutant Unteroffizier Robert Nussbaumer, SWITZERLAND, 1990–1991
- Maresciallo Gerardo Di Lorenzo, ITALY, 1992–1993
- Vizeleutnant Josef Grünstäudl, AUSTRIA, 1994–1995
- Adjudant Dimitri Pezirianoglou, FRANCE, 1996–1997
- Adjudant Nico C. Frerichs, THE NETHERLANDS, 1998–1999
- Adjudant André Vallée, BELGIUM, 2000–2001
- Hauptbootsmann Michael Warfolomeow, GERMANY, 2002–2003
- Adjutant Unteroffizier Alfons Cadario, SWITZERLAND, 2004–2005
- Vizeleutnant Franz Hitzl, AUSTRIA, 2006–2007
- Arturo Malagutti, ITALY, 2008–2010
- Luis Messeguer, SPAIN, 2010–2011
- Sergeant Miguel Núñez, SPAIN, 2012–2012
- Maître Principal Philippe Cogan, FRANCE, 2012–2014
- Tomaž Lavtižar, SLOVENIA, 2014–2016
- Sergeant Major Ilpo Pohjola, FINLAND, 2016–2018
- Michel d’Alessandro, BELGIUM, 2018–2020
- Germain Beucler, SWITZERLAND, 2020–2022
- Stabsfeldwebel Reinhard Knott, GERMANY, 2022–2024
- Sergeant Major Minna Nenonen, FINLAND, 2024–2026
