Hellenic National Defence General Staff

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. ΑΕΔ) established in its place.

Hellenic National Defence General Staff
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
Founded1950
CountryGreece
BranchArmed forces
TypeMilitary staff
Part ofHellenic Armed Forces
HeadquartersMinistry of National Defence, Psychiko, Athens, Greece
Motto(s)Αἰὲν Ἀριστεύειν ("Ever to Excel")
Commanders
ChiefGeneral Konstantinos Floros
Notable
commanders		Field Marshal Alexandros Papagos
Insignia
AbbreviationΓΕΕΘΑ ("HNDGS")
Flag

The Chief of the HNDGS

The Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (Greek: Αρχηγός ΓΕΕΘΑ, Α/ΓΕΕΘΑ) conducts the HNDGS and is the main adviser to the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence (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]

  • Rank flag of the Chief of the HNDGS (Army variant)
  • Rank flag of the Chief of the HNDGS (Navy variant)
  • Rank flag of the Chief of the HNDGS (Air Force variant)

List of chiefs of the HNDGS
No. Portrait Chief of the HNDGSTook officeLeft officeTime in officeDefence branch
1
Papagos, AlexandrosField Marshal
Alexandros Papagos
(1883–1955)
[lower-alpha 1]		195019510–1 years Hellenic Army
2
Grigoropoulos, TheodotosLieutenant General
Theodotos Grigoropoulos		195119520–1 years Hellenic Army
3
Kitrilakis, StylianosLieutenant General
Stylianos Kitrilakis
(1896–1964)		195219541–2 years Hellenic Army
4
Dovas, KonstantinosLieutenant General
Konstantinos Dovas
(1898–1973)		195419594–5 years Hellenic Army
5
Frontistis, AthanasiosLieutenant General
Athanasios Frontistis
(1900–1979)		195919622–3 years Hellenic Army
6
Pipilis, IoannisLieutenant General
Ioannis Pipilis		196219652–3 years Hellenic Army
7
Tsolakas, KonstantinosLieutenant General
Konstantinos Tsolakas		196519671–2 years Hellenic Army
8
Avgeris, SpyridonVice Admiral
Spyridon Avgeris
(1909–1972)
[lower-alpha 2]		30 March 196714 December 1967259 days Hellenic Navy
9
Angelis, OdysseasGeneral
Odysseas Angelis
(1912–1987)
[lower-alpha 3]		196716 August 19735–6 years Hellenic Army
10
Zagorianakos, DimitriosGeneral
Dimitrios Zagorianakos
(1918–1977)
[lower-alpha 4]		16 August 197325 November 1973101 days Hellenic Army
11
Bonanos, GrigoriosGeneral
Grigorios Bonanos
[lower-alpha 4]		25 November 197319740–1 years Hellenic Army
12
Arbouzis, DionysiosGeneral
Dionysios Arbouzis
(1913–1987)
[lower-alpha 5]		197419761–2 years Hellenic Army
13
Davos, IoannisGeneral
Ioannis Davos
(1918–2008)
[lower-alpha 6]		14 September 197610 January 19803 years, 118 days Hellenic Army
14
Gratzios, AgamemnonGeneral
Agamemnon Gratzios
(1922–1993)		11 January 198019 January 19822 years, 8 days Hellenic Army
15
Degiannis, TheodorosAdmiral
Theodoros Degiannis
(1926–2006)		198219841–2 years Hellenic Navy
16
Kouris, NikolaosAir Chief Marshal
Nikolaos Kouris
(born 1930)		198419894–5 years Hellenic Air Force
17
Vellidis, StamatisGeneral
Stamatis Vellidis
(born 1928)		198919900–1 years Hellenic Army
18
Veryvakis, IoannisGeneral
Ioannis Veryvakis
(1930–2019)		199016 October 19932–3 years Hellenic Army
19
Skarvelis, DimitriosGeneral
Dimitrios Skarvelis
(born 1933)		16 October 199316 December 199361 days Hellenic Army
20
Lymberis, ChristosAdmiral
Christos Lymberis
(born 1935)
[lower-alpha 7]		16 December 199319962–3 years Hellenic Navy
21
Tzoganis, AthanasiosAir Chief Marshal
Athanasios Tzoganis
(born 1939)		199619992–3 years Hellenic Air Force
22
Paragioudakis, ManousosGeneral
Manousos Paragioudakis
(born 1938)		199920022–3 years Hellenic Army
23
Antonakopoulos, GeorgiosGeneral
Georgios Antonakopoulos
(born 1943)		200216 February 20052–3 years Hellenic Army
24
Chinofotis, PanagiotisAdmiral
Panagiotis Chinofotis
(born 1949)		16 February 200521 August 20072 years, 186 days Hellenic Navy
25
Grapsas, DimitriosGeneral
Dimitrios Grapsas
(born 1948)		21 August 20076 August 20091 year, 350 days Hellenic Army
26
Giangos, IoannisAir Chief Marshal
Ioannis Giangos
(born 1951)		6 August 20091 November 20112 years, 87 days Hellenic Air Force
27
Kostarakos, MichailGeneral
Michail Kostarakos
(born 1956)		1 November 201115 December 20154 years, 44 days Hellenic Army
28
Apostolakis, EvangelosAdmiral
Evangelos Apostolakis
(born 1957)		15 December 201514 January 20193 years, 30 days Hellenic Navy
–
Floros, KonstantinosLieutenant General
Konstantinos Floros
(born 1961)
Acting		14 January 201925 January 201911 days Hellenic Army
29
Christodoulou, ChristosAir Chief Marshal
Christos Christodoulou
(born 1958)		25 January 201917 January 2020357 days Hellenic Air Force
30
Floros, KonstantinosGeneral
Konstantinos Floros
(born 1961)		17 January 2020Incumbent1 year, 17 days Hellenic Army

Notes
  1. Resigned to found Greek Rally party
  2. 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
  3. Installed by the military regime. "Chief of the Armed Forces" from December 1968
  4. Chief of the Armed Forces during the military regime
  5. Chief of the Armed Forces following the fall of the military regime
  6. Chief of the Armed Forces, from August 1977 Chief of the re-formed HNDGS
  7. Dismissed following the Imia crisis

References
  1. "ΚΥΣΕΑ - Κρίσεις 2020: Αυτή είναι η νέα ηγεσία των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων". www.armyvoice.gr (in Greek). 2020-01-17. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
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