Captain (N)
Hristea BUTNARU

Commander Hristea BUTNARU was born on June 7^th 1969 in Tomeşti, county of Iaşi.

He graduated from Constanza Naval Academy in 1992.

After graduation, as lieutenant (junior grade), he was assigned and served as a weapon systems officer onboard of an ASW ship, until 1993.

In 1993 he was promoted lieutenant and between 1993 and 2000 he was assigned for several positions in Human Resources, as staff officer, in several navy units.
Between 1999 and 2000 he attended a Staff Course and after graduation he was promoted to the Romanian Naval Staff as SO in Human Resources Department.

In 2003 he was promoted lieutenant commander and assigned SO CIMIC at Naval Operational Command.

Between 2004 and 2006 he served as a staff officer and chief of Office for International Relation and Liaison with NATO at Naval Operational Command.

His next assignment (May 2006-June 2007) was at Fleet Command as SO in charge with operational capacity of forces and integration in NATO.

Afterwards he was appointed as chief of Office for special operation /N3-operations at Naval Operational Command

From September 2007 to June 2008 LCDR Butnaru attended the Joint Staff Course in Rome, Italy. During this course, he was given the rank of commander and was appointed Chief of INFOOPS, PSYOPS and CIMIC at Naval Operational Component / Romanian Naval Staff.

In October 2010, CDR Butnaru was transferred to JFC Naples where he served 3 years as a staff officer in PSYOPS Section/Joint effects management branch.

After returning to Romania, to use the operational experienced gained by CDR Butnaru, he was promoted to the rank of Captain and appointed chief of Operations Support Section in the Naval Operational Command, position in which he remained until summer 2016.

From August 2016 until September 2018 CAPT Butnaru was appointed as the Chief of Cabinet at the Romanian Naval Forces Staff.

In September 2018 CAPT Butnaru went back to NATO environment as Assistant Chief of Staff for Human Resources (ACOS N1) at Allied Martime Command (MARCOM) Northwood, UK.

His personal experiences include also:
- CIMIC course at PfP Training Center, Ankara Turkey – 2003;
- PSO course at Pearson Peacekeeping Centre, Nova Scotia, Canada 2004;
- Officer with prime responsibility (OPR) at NATO-PfP Exercise COOPERATIVE MAKO-06;
- Master in International Military Strategic Studies, Italy - 2008;
- Chief of J9 / JOPG during the Combined Joint European Exercise – 2008
- Subject matter expert/SECTION CHIEF in PSYOPS Section/ CJTF, during the NATO Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR, 2011;
- NATO Senior Officer Policy Course, 2019;
- Resource Management Education Programme (RMEP) Course, 2020.
- Deputy Maritime Commander for Operations Noble Shield, April 2022.

His personal decoration includes the NATO Medal for Operation UNIFIED PROTECTOR, Romanian Honorific Service Medal and NATO Meritorious Service Medal (MSM).

He is married and has two daughters.