Brigadier General Emilian Chirea

Acting Military Representative of Romania to NATO 

Personal data:

Date of birth: August 24th 1970; 
Place of birth: Balș, Olt County; 
Nationality: Romanian; 
Civilian status: Married, one daughter. 

Brigadier General Emilian Chirea early joined military and graduated Military College Dimitrie Cantemir in 1988, and then he was commissioned as Lieutenant after graduation of Field Artillery Officer Military School loan Vodä /SIBIU, class 1991.

He was promoted to captain in 1995 and appointed as antitank platoon leader within the 26th Inf BN / Inf BDE (well known as Red Scorpions). After completion of the Officer Advanced Course in 1997, he was promoted as AT Coy Commander. Later on, in 2001 he was assigned as the battalion Firing Coordinating officer within the unit. In 2002 he was deployed six months in KOSOVO in KFOR mission. 

In 2004, he was assigned as OPS staff officer in InfBN HQ, deployed at Al Nasiriya in Irak for Antica Babylonia Operation, for a seven months tour of duty. In the same year, after attending Brigade Staff Officer Course, he was assigned as staff officer/INF BDE HQ. Soon after, in 2005 he was redeployed for six months in Afghanistan, within Combined TF Unit. 

In 2006, he started a full master degree program in National Security Studies at Romanian National Defence University. He graduated class 2008. His final thesis was on the importance of Black Sea strategic resources and the Romanian interests. 

He was appointed by July 2010 as staff officer at Strategic Planning Directorate in the Romanian General Staff. He graduated Joint Advance Officer Course in ROU NDU, in July 2009.

In August 2010 he was posted as a staff officer in the Romanian Military Representation to NATO and EU, Bruxelles/BEL and served until 2014, when he returned to SPD/ ROU General Staff 

In 2016 he was promoted as a Colonel and served for seven months in CAT-A/ SHAPE, MONS as the coordinating officer for the tFP team. On October 2017 was appointed as branch head within Strategic Planning Directorate in the Romanian General Staff, responsible with Capability Development. 

He graduated the National War College at NDU in Washington DC, class 2019. His master degree thesis was Enabling Romania as US Regional Strategic Shoulder.

During his career, he participated at various multinational events and exercises inter alia: Immediate Response, Novo Selo-Bulgaria, trilateral: USA, ROU, BGR in JUN 2006; Balkanic Guardian, Craiova Romania, bilateral: USA, ROU, BGR, JUN 2005; PELENDAVA 2001 Craiova- Romania, bilateral: ROU, GRE, JUN 2001 and HISTRIA 2020.

He was awarded with the national honour medals, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and NATO Non-Article 5 medals and the Order "the Military Virtue".

From September 2020 to August 2022 he was assigned as the Deputy Strategic Planning Directorate in the Romanian General Staff.

Since 1st of September 2022, Brigadier General Chirea is appointed as the Deputy Romanian Military Representative to NATO and EU in Brussels, Belgium, and starting with March 2024 he is also Acting Military Representative of Romania to NATO and EU.

His promotion to the Brigadier General rank was on 1st December 2023.

He is married with Geanina and they have a daughter.