Hellenic National Defence General Staff | |
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Γενικό Επιτελείο Εθνικής Άμυνας | |
![]() Emblem of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff. The Corinthian helmet represents the Hellenic Army, the anchor the Hellenic Navy, and the wings the Hellenic Air Force | |
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 HNDGS
[edit]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]
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Rank flag of the Chief of the HNDGS (Army variant)
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Rank flag of the Chief of the HNDGS (Navy variant)
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Rank flag of the Chief of the HNDGS (Air Force variant)
List of chiefs of the HNDGS
[edit]No. | Portrait | Chief of the HNDGS | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
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1 | Field Marshal Alexandros Papagos (1883–1955) [a] | 1950 | 1951 | 0–1 years | ![]() | – | |
2 | Theodotos Grigoropoulos | Lieutenant general1951 | 1952 | 0–1 years | ![]() | – | |
3 | Stylianos Kitrilakis (1896–1964) | Lieutenant general1952 | 1954 | 1–2 years | ![]() | – | |
4 | Konstantinos Dovas (1898–1973) | Lieutenant general1954 | 1959 | 4–5 years | ![]() | – | |
5 | Athanasios Frontistis (1900–1979) | Lieutenant general1959 | 1962 | 2–3 years | ![]() | – | |
6 | Ioannis Pipilis (1903–1992) | Lieutenant general1962 | 1965 | 2–3 years | ![]() | – | |
7 | Konstantinos Tsolakas | Lieutenant general1965 | 1967 | 1–2 years | ![]() | – | |
8 | Spyridon Avgeris (1909–1972) [b] | Vice admiral30 March 1967 | 14 December 1967 | 259 days | ![]() | – | |
9 | Odysseas Angelis (1912–1987) [c] | General1967 | 16 August 1973 | 5–6 years | ![]() | – | |
10 | Dimitrios Zagorianakos (1918–1977) [d] | General16 August 1973 | 25 November 1973 | 101 days | ![]() | – | |
11 | Grigorios Bonanos [e] | General25 November 1973 | 1974 | 0–1 years | ![]() | – | |
12 | Dionysios Arbouzis (1913–1987) [f] | General1974 | 1976 | 1–2 years | ![]() | – | |
13 | Ioannis Davos (1918–2008) [g] | General14 September 1976 | 10 January 1980 | 3 years, 118 days | ![]() | – | |
14 | Agamemnon Gratzios (1922–1993) | General11 January 1980 | 19 January 1982 | 2 years, 8 days | ![]() | – | |
15 | Theodoros Degiannis (1926–2006) | Admiral1982 | 1984 | 1–2 years | ![]() | – | |
16 | Nikolaos Kouris (1930–2018) | Air Chief Marshal1984 | 1989 | 4–5 years | ![]() | – | |
17 | Stamatis Vellidis (1928–2021) | General1989 | 1990 | 0–1 years | ![]() | – | |
18 | Ioannis Veryvakis (1930–2019) | General1990 | 16 October 1993 | 2–3 years | ![]() | – | |
19 | Dimitrios Skarvelis (born 1933) | General16 October 1993 | 16 December 1993 | 61 days | ![]() | – | |
20 | Christos Lymberis (born 1935) [h] | Admiral16 December 1993 | 1996 | 2–3 years | ![]() | – | |
21 | Athanasios Tzoganis (born 1939) | Air Chief Marshal1996 | 1999 | 2–3 years | ![]() | – | |
22 | Manousos Paragioudakis (born 1938) | General1999 | 2002 | 2–3 years | ![]() | – | |
23 | Georgios Antonakopoulos (born 1943) | General2002 | 16 February 2005 | 2–3 years | ![]() | – | |
24 | Panagiotis Chinofotis (born 1949) | Admiral16 February 2005 | 21 August 2007 | 2 years, 186 days | ![]() | – | |
25 | Dimitrios Grapsas (born 1948) | General21 August 2007 | 6 August 2009 | 1 year, 350 days | ![]() | – | |
26 | Ioannis Giangos (born 1951) | Air Chief Marshal6 August 2009 | 1 November 2011 | 2 years, 87 days | ![]() | – | |
27 | Michail Kostarakos (1956–2023) | General1 November 2011 | 15 December 2015 | 4 years, 44 days | ![]() | – | |
28 | Evangelos Apostolakis (born 1957) | Admiral15 December 2015 | 14 January 2019 | 3 years, 30 days | ![]() | – | |
– | Konstantinos Floros (born 1961) Acting | Lieutenant General14 January 2019 | 25 January 2019 | 11 days | ![]() | – | |
29 | Christos Christodoulou (born 1958) | Air Chief Marshal25 January 2019 | 17 January 2020 | 357 days | ![]() | – | |
30 | Konstantinos Floros (born 1961) | General17 January 2020 | 12 January 2024 | 3 years, 360 days | ![]() | – | |
31 | Dimitrios Choupis (born 1965) | General12 January 2024 | Incumbent | 189 days | ![]() | [2] |
Notes
[edit]- ^ Resigned to found Greek Rally party.
- ^ Held the post at the time of the coup d'état in April 1967 which established the military regime. Dismissed by the military regime following the failed counter-coup of King Constantine II in December 1967.
- ^ Installed by the military regime. "Chief of the Armed Forces" from December 1968.
- ^ Chief of the Armed Forces during the military regime. Held the post at the time of the Athens Polytechnic uprising in November 1973. Dismissed following the coup of Brigadier Dimitrios Ioannidis.
- ^ Chief of the Armed Forces during the military regime.
- ^ Chief of the Armed Forces following the fall of the military regime.
- ^ Chief of the Armed Forces, from August 1977 Chief of the re-formed HNDGS.
- ^ Dismissed following the Imia crisis.
References
[edit]- ^ "ΚΥΣΕΑ - Κρίσεις 2020: Αυτή είναι η νέα ηγεσία των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων". www.armyvoice.gr (in Greek). 2020-01-17. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
- ^ "Δημήτρης Χούπης: Το βιογραφικό σημείωμα του νέου αρχηγού ΓΕΕΘΑ" (in Greek). Kathimerini. 12 January 2024.