Between 1 & 3 February, the Centre national des sports de la Défense (CNSD) in Fontainebleau, France, hosted for the first time the annual meetings of the Presidents of CISM Sport Committees and of the Sports Commission of the International Military Sports Council to discuss forthcoming international events, championship regulations and sports calendars for the next several years.

Following the Opening Ceremony held in the hall of Complexe Bresson, the military sports managers from some thirty different countries gathered for constructive discussions of a number of items including of course, the 5^th Military World Games scheduled in Rio between 16 & 24 July.

At the official dinner, Colonel Kalkaba, President of CISM, awarded the Order of Merit of CISM to three French NCOs and officers in recognition of their contribution to international sport : Brigadier-Chef Abdi Djama-Galesh, former French marathon and half marathon champion; CWO Fabrice Guilley, manager of the French military judo team and Major Thierry Cluzeau, CNSD head nurse. A very emotional moment of the evening was when Mrs Debrus, wife of Squadron Leader Debrus, founding father of CISM in 1948, was awarded the rank of Commander in the Order Merit of CISM, one of the Order’s most distinguished honours. General Renaud and Colonel Kalkaba paid a vibrant tribute to the work and action of Squadron Leader Debrus who, in the aftermath of the Second World War had the idea of bringing together the Armed Forces of the world on the field of sport rather than the field of battle. As Mrs Debrus was unwell and could not make the trip, it was her son, Patrice Debrus, to whom the President of CISM presented her medal.

Health issues also prevented Honorary Lieutenant Christiane Durieux-André from attending the ceremony to receive the same medal. Worth recalling is that Mrs Durieux was, along with Squadron Leader Debrus, one of the founding members of CISM in 1948.