Hellenic National Defence General Staff | |
---|---|
Γενικό Επιτελείο Εθνικής Άμυνας | |
Founded | 1950 |
Country | Greece |
Branch | Armed forces |
Type | Military staff |
Part of | Hellenic Armed Forces |
Headquarters | Ministry of National Defence, Psychiko, Athens, Greece |
Motto(s) | Ever to Excel Αἰὲν Ἀριστεύειν Een aristevin |
Website | www.geetha.mil.gr |
Commanders | |
Chief | General Dimitrios Choupis |
Notable commanders | Field Marshal Alexandros Papagos |
Insignia | |
Abbreviation | ΓΕΕΘΑ ("HNDGS") |
Flag |
The Hellenic National Defence General Staff (Greek: Γενικό Επιτελείο Εθνικής Άμυνας, abbr. ΓΕΕΘΑ) is the senior staff of the Hellenic Armed Forces. It was established in 1950, when the separate armed services ministries were consolidated into the Ministry of National Defence. Its role in peacetime was as a coordinating and senior consultative body at the disposal of the Greek government, and in wartime as the overall headquarters of the Armed Forces. In recent years, through ongoing efforts at increased inter-services cooperation and integration, the HNDGS has assumed peacetime operational control over the separate branches. Between 19 December 1968 and 10 August 1977, the HNDGS was abolished, and the Armed Forces Headquarters (Greek: Αρχηγείο Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων, abbr. Greek: ΑΕΔ) established in its place.
The Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (Αρχηγός ΓΕΕΘΑ, Α/ΓΕΕΘΑ) conducts the HNDGS and is the main adviser to The National Security Governmental Council (KYSEA) and to the Minister of Defence on military issues. Through the Chiefs of General Staffs, he carries out the operational commanding of the Joint Headquarters and the units that come under them, as well as the rest forces, when it comes to the issues of operation plans implementation and the Crises management System implementation, conduction of operations outside the national territory and participation of the Armed Forces in the confrontation of special situations during peace time.
He constructs the National Military Strategy after taking into consideration the suggestions of the General Staffs of the Armed Forces Services and according to the directions of the Ministry of Defence he manages and proposes the priority of the armament programs and suggests the general policy directions and priorities on every operational objective.
Traditionally, since c. 1970, the Chief of the HNDGS holds the rank of full general, admiral or air chief marshal, and is the only serving four-star officer of the Hellenic Armed Forces (as opposed to retired, since three-star ranks are often promoted one rank on retirement).
Since 17 January 2020, the incumbent Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, is General Konstantinos Floros.[1]
No. | Portrait | Chief of the HNDGS | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Field Marshal Alexandros Papagos (1883–1955) [a] | 1950 | 1951 | 0–1 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
2 | Theodotos Grigoropoulos | Lieutenant general1951 | 1952 | 0–1 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
3 | Stylianos Kitrilakis (1896–1964) | Lieutenant general1952 | 1954 | 1–2 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
4 | Konstantinos Dovas (1898–1973) | Lieutenant general1954 | 1959 | 4–5 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
5 | Athanasios Frontistis (1900–1979) | Lieutenant general1959 | 1962 | 2–3 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
6 | Ioannis Pipilis (1903–1992) | Lieutenant general1962 | 1965 | 2–3 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
7 | Konstantinos Tsolakas | Lieutenant general1965 | 1967 | 1–2 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
8 | Spyridon Avgeris (1909–1972) [b] | Vice admiral30 March 1967 | 14 December 1967 | 259 days | Hellenic Navy | – | |
9 | Odysseas Angelis (1912–1987) [c] | General1967 | 16 August 1973 | 5–6 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
10 | Dimitrios Zagorianakos (1918–1977) [d] | General16 August 1973 | 25 November 1973 | 101 days | Hellenic Army | – | |
11 | Grigorios Bonanos [e] | General25 November 1973 | 1974 | 0–1 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
12 | Dionysios Arbouzis (1913–1987) [f] | General1974 | 1976 | 1–2 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
13 | Ioannis Davos (1918–2008) [g] | General14 September 1976 | 10 January 1980 | 3 years, 118 days | Hellenic Army | – | |
14 | Agamemnon Gratzios (1922–1993) | General11 January 1980 | 19 January 1982 | 2 years, 8 days | Hellenic Army | – | |
15 | Theodoros Degiannis (1926–2006) | Admiral1982 | 1984 | 1–2 years | Hellenic Navy | – | |
16 | Nikolaos Kouris (1930–2018) | Air Chief Marshal1984 | 1989 | 4–5 years | Hellenic Air Force | – | |
17 | Stamatis Vellidis (1928–2021) | General1989 | 1990 | 0–1 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
18 | Ioannis Veryvakis (1930–2019) | General1990 | 16 October 1993 | 2–3 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
19 | Dimitrios Skarvelis (born 1933) | General16 October 1993 | 16 December 1993 | 61 days | Hellenic Army | – | |
20 | Christos Lymberis (born 1935) [h] | Admiral16 December 1993 | 1996 | 2–3 years | Hellenic Navy | – | |
21 | Athanasios Tzoganis (born 1939) | Air Chief Marshal1996 | 1999 | 2–3 years | Hellenic Air Force | – | |
22 | Manousos Paragioudakis (born 1938) | General1999 | 2002 | 2–3 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
23 | Georgios Antonakopoulos (born 1943) | General2002 | 16 February 2005 | 2–3 years | Hellenic Army | – | |
24 | Panagiotis Chinofotis (born 1949) | Admiral16 February 2005 | 21 August 2007 | 2 years, 186 days | Hellenic Navy | – | |
25 | Dimitrios Grapsas (born 1948) | General21 August 2007 | 6 August 2009 | 1 year, 350 days | Hellenic Army | – | |
26 | Ioannis Giangos (born 1951) | Air Chief Marshal6 August 2009 | 1 November 2011 | 2 years, 87 days | Hellenic Air Force | – | |
27 | Michail Kostarakos (1956–2023) | General1 November 2011 | 15 December 2015 | 4 years, 44 days | Hellenic Army | – | |
28 | Evangelos Apostolakis (born 1957) | Admiral15 December 2015 | 14 January 2019 | 3 years, 30 days | Hellenic Navy | – | |
– | Konstantinos Floros (born 1961) Acting | Lieutenant General14 January 2019 | 25 January 2019 | 11 days | Hellenic Army | – | |
29 | Christos Christodoulou (born 1958) | Air Chief Marshal25 January 2019 | 17 January 2020 | 357 days | Hellenic Air Force | – | |
30 | Konstantinos Floros (born 1961) | General17 January 2020 | 12 January 2024 | 3 years, 360 days | Hellenic Army | – | |
31 | Dimitrios Choupis (born 1965) | General12 January 2024 | Incumbent | 263 days | Hellenic Army | [2] |