Wikipedia

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. Greek: 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)Ever to Excel
Αἰὲν Ἀριστεύειν
Een aristevin
Websitewww.geetha.mil.gr
Commanders
ChiefGeneral Dimitrios Choupis
Notable
commanders		Field Marshal Alexandros Papagos
Insignia
AbbreviationΓΕΕΘΑ ("HNDGS")
Flag

The Chief of the HNDGS

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The Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (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]

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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

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No. Portrait Chief of the HNDGS Took office Left office Time in office Defence branch Ref.
1Papagos, AlexandrosField Marshal
Alexandros Papagos
(1883–1955)
[a]		195019510–1 years  Hellenic Army–
2Grigoropoulos, TheodotosLieutenant general
Theodotos Grigoropoulos		195119520–1 years  Hellenic Army–
3Kitrilakis, StylianosLieutenant general
Stylianos Kitrilakis [el]
(1896–1964)		195219541–2 years  Hellenic Army–
4Dovas, KonstantinosLieutenant general
Konstantinos Dovas
(1898–1973)		195419594–5 years  Hellenic Army–
5Frontistis, AthanasiosLieutenant general
Athanasios Frontistis
(1900–1979)		195919622–3 years  Hellenic Army–
6Pipilis, IoannisLieutenant general
Ioannis Pipilis [el]
(1903–1992)		196219652–3 years  Hellenic Army–
7Tsolakas, KonstantinosLieutenant general
Konstantinos Tsolakas		196519671–2 years  Hellenic Army–
8Avgeris, SpyridonVice admiral
Spyridon Avgeris
(1909–1972)
[b]		30 March 196714 December 1967259 days  Hellenic Navy–
9Angelis, OdysseasGeneral
Odysseas Angelis
(1912–1987)
[c]		196716 August 19735–6 years  Hellenic Army–
10Zagorianakos, DimitriosGeneral
Dimitrios Zagorianakos [el]
(1918–1977)
[d]		16 August 197325 November 1973101 days  Hellenic Army–
11Bonanos, GrigoriosGeneral
Grigorios Bonanos
[e]		25 November 197319740–1 years  Hellenic Army–
12Arbouzis, DionysiosGeneral
Dionysios Arbouzis
(1913–1987)
[f]		197419761–2 years  Hellenic Army–
13Davos, IoannisGeneral
Ioannis Davos
(1918–2008)
[g]		14 September 197610 January 19803 years, 118 days  Hellenic Army–
14Gratzios, AgamemnonGeneral
Agamemnon Gratzios
(1922–1993)		11 January 198019 January 19822 years, 8 days  Hellenic Army–
15Degiannis, TheodorosAdmiral
Theodoros Degiannis
(1926–2006)		198219841–2 years  Hellenic Navy–
16Kouris, NikolaosAir Chief Marshal
Nikolaos Kouris [el]
(1930–2018)		198419894–5 years  Hellenic Air Force–
17Vellidis, StamatisGeneral
Stamatis Vellidis
(1928–2021)		198919900–1 years  Hellenic Army–
18Veryvakis, IoannisGeneral
Ioannis Veryvakis
(1930–2019)		199016 October 19932–3 years  Hellenic Army–
19Skarvelis, DimitriosGeneral
Dimitrios Skarvelis [el]
(born 1933)		16 October 199316 December 199361 days  Hellenic Army–
20Lymberis, ChristosAdmiral
Christos Lymberis [el]
(born 1935)
[h]		16 December 199319962–3 years  Hellenic Navy–
21Tzoganis, AthanasiosAir Chief Marshal
Athanasios Tzoganis
(born 1939)		199619992–3 years  Hellenic Air Force–
22Paragioudakis, ManousosGeneral
Manousos Paragioudakis [el]
(born 1938)		199920022–3 years  Hellenic Army–
23Antonakopoulos, GeorgiosGeneral
Georgios Antonakopoulos [el]
(born 1943)		200216 February 20052–3 years  Hellenic Army–
24Chinofotis, PanagiotisAdmiral
Panagiotis Chinofotis
(born 1949)		16 February 200521 August 20072 years, 186 days  Hellenic Navy–
25Grapsas, DimitriosGeneral
Dimitrios Grapsas
(born 1948)		21 August 20076 August 20091 year, 350 days  Hellenic Army–
26Giangos, IoannisAir Chief Marshal
Ioannis Giangos
(born 1951)		6 August 20091 November 20112 years, 87 days  Hellenic Air Force–
27Kostarakos, MichailGeneral
Michail Kostarakos
(1956–2023)		1 November 201115 December 20154 years, 44 days  Hellenic Army–
28Apostolakis, 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–
29Christodoulou, ChristosAir Chief Marshal
Christos Christodoulou [el]
(born 1958)		25 January 201917 January 2020357 days  Hellenic Air Force–
30Floros, KonstantinosGeneral
Konstantinos Floros
(born 1961)		17 January 202012 January 20243 years, 360 days  Hellenic Army–
31Choupis, DimitriosGeneral
Dimitrios Choupis
(born 1965)		12 January 2024Incumbent342 days  Hellenic Army[2]

Notes

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  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. Held the post at the time of the Athens Polytechnic uprising in November 1973. Dismissed following the coup of Brigadier Dimitrios Ioannidis.
  5. ^ Chief of the Armed Forces during the military regime.
  6. ^ Chief of the Armed Forces following the fall of the military regime.
  7. ^ Chief of the Armed Forces, from August 1977 Chief of the re-formed HNDGS.
  8. ^ Dismissed following the Imia crisis.

References

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  1. ^ "ΚΥΣΕΑ - Κρίσεις 2020: Αυτή είναι η νέα ηγεσία των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων". www.armyvoice.gr (in Greek). 2020-01-17. Retrieved 2020-01-17.
  2. ^ "Δημήτρης Χούπης: Το βιογραφικό σημείωμα του νέου αρχηγού ΓΕΕΘΑ" (in Greek). Kathimerini. 12 January 2024.
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