GENERAL SIMEON HRISTOV SIMEONOV

Chief of Defence

Date and Place of Birth: 25 January 1955, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Military Career:

1979 – 1980

Junior Pilot with the Second Flight of 1st Squadron, 25th Aviation Regiment – Cheshnigirovo Air Base.

1980 – 1982

Junior Pilot with the First Flight of squadron with the 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Graf Ignatievo Air Base.

1982 – 1984

Senior Pilot with the First Flight of First Aviation Squadron, 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Graf Ignatievo Air Base.

1984 – 1985

Commander of Third Flight of First Aviation Squadron, 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Graf Ignatievo Air Base.

1985 – 1986

Deputy Commander of First Aviation Squadron, 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Graf Ignatievo Air Base.

1986 – 1989

Officer Cadet in Y. A. Gagarin Air Force Academy.

1989 – 1990

Commander of 2nd Aviation Squadron, 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Graf Ignatievo Air Base.

1990 – 1991

Deputy Commander responsible for Flight Operations and Safety, 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Graf Ignatievo Air Base.

1991 –1992

Deputy Commander for Flight Training, 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Graf Ignatievo Air Base.

1992 – 1994

Commander of 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment – Graf Ignatievo Air Base.

1994 – 1996

Commander of 3rd Fighter Air Base – Graf Ignatievo.

1996 – 1998

Training in the General Staff Academy in Hamburg, Germany.

1999 – 2000

Commander of 3rd Fighter Air Base – Graf Ignatievo.

2000 – 2002

Deputy Commander for Training and Use of Forces, Tactical Aviation Corps – Plovdiv.

2002 – 2003

Chief of Staff of the Tactical Aviation Corps – Plovdiv.

2003 – 2004

Commander of Tactical Aviation Command – Plovdiv.

2004 – 2005

2005 – 2006

2006 – 2009

Chief of Staff of the Joint Force Training Centre, a NATO headquarters located in Bydgoszcz, Poland, responsible to Allied Command Transformation.

Chief of the Air Force Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Bulgaria

Commander of the Air Force of the Republic of Bulgaria

2009

Chief of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria

Education:

1974

Secondary education completed in Kazanlak, Bulgaria.

1974 – 1979

Bulgarian Air Force Academy, Dolna Mitropoliya.

1986 – 1989

Y. A. GAGARIN Air Force Command and Staff Academy, Russia.

1996 – 1998

General Staff Faculty – Fuhrungsakademie der Bundeswehr, Hamburg, Germany

Flight Experience: Pilot First Class with over 2,000 flight hours.
He has flown L-29; MiG-17; MiG-21; MiG-29

Promotions:

1979

Lieutenant.

1982

First Lieutenant.

1986

Captain.

1991

Major.

1992

Lieutenant Colonel.

1996

Colonel.

2003

Brigadier General

2005

Major General.

2007

Lieutenant General

2009

General

Awards and Decorations:

Commendation Medal “For Meritorious Service Under the Colours” – First Grade; other medals, cold weapons, monetary rewards and other awards.

Military Decoration of the United States armed forces “Legion of Merit”, awarded by the President of the United States.

Foreign Languages: English, Russian, and German

Marital Status: Married with two children.