Chief of defence

File:Defense.gov News Photo 020311-D-2987S-018.jpg

The CHODs of from 29 countries gathered at the Pentagon on March 11, 2002. The Chiefs of Defence in the picture include US Air Force Gen. Richard B. Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; French Army Gen. Jean-Pierre Kelche, Chief of the Defence Staff; Dutch Navy Adm. Luuk Kroon, Chief of Defence; German Air Force Gen. Harald Kujat, Inspector General of the Bundeswehr; British Navy Adm. Sir Michael Boyce, Chief of the Defence Staff

A chief of defence (or head of defence) is the highest ranked commissioned officer of a nation's armed forces. The acronym CHOD is in common use within NATO and the European Union as a generic term for the highest national military position within the NATO and EU member states, rather than the actual term used for individual positions. Thus, irrespective of the formal national designation of that position is some variation on Commander-in-Chief, Chief of Staff, Supreme Commander, or something else, they can all be referred to unambiguously as CHODs in NATO and EU terminology, although other terms are sometimes also seen within NATO. Thus, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the CHOD of the United States, the Chief of the Defence Staff is the CHOD of the United Kingdom, the Inspector General of the Bundeswehr is the CHOD of Germany, and the Chief of Defence (Forsvarssjefen) is the CHOD of Norway.

Both NATO and the EU occasionally hold CHODs meetings of the NATO Military Committee and the European Union Military Committee respectively.

Chief of defence positions in NATO member countries

File:Three Chiefs of Defence in London.jpg

Three CHODs leaving Lancaster House in London, 10 June 2011. L-R: US Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; French Navy Adm. Édouard Guillaud, Chief of Defence Staff; British Gen. Sir David Richards, Chief of Defence Staff.

Within member states of NATO, the following national positions are the CHOD positions. Sometimes more than one form of translation into English is encountered.

Country	Position	Alternative translationsTemplate:Efn	Term in national language
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Albanian General Staff.svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Coats of arms of Belgium Military Forces.svg Chief of Defence Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Chief of the General Staff^[1]	Template:Langx Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Logo of Ministry of Defense of Bulgaria.svg Chief of the Defence^[2] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Canadian Forces.svg Chief of the Defence Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chief of the Croatian General Staff.svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the General Staff (Czech Republic).svg Chief of the General Staff^[3] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Standard of the Chief of the Defense Staff of Denmark.svg Chief of Defence Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flags of Estonia - Commander-in-Chief.svg Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces^[4] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the commander of the Finnish Defence Forces.svg Chief of Defence Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Marque CEMA.svg Chief of the Defence Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flagge Generalinspekteur Bundeswehr.svg Inspector General of the Bundeswehr Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Chief of Defence^[5]^[6]	Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Hellenic National Defence General Staff Seal.svg Chief of the National Defence General Staff^[7] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Insignia Hungary Army HVK.svg Chief of the General Staff^[8] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Director of the Security and Defence Department^[9]^[10] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the chief of staff of defence of Italy.svg Chief of the Defence Staff^[11] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Coat of Arms of Latvian National Armed Forces.svg Commander of the National Armed Forces^[12] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chief of Defence of Lithuania.jpg Chief of Defence^[13] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Emblem of the Army of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg.png Chief of Staff^[14] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Chief of Defence	Template:Langx Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Military of Montenegro.gif Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Montenegrin: Начелник Генералштаба / Načelnik Generalštaba
Template:Flagcountry	File:NL-VLAG-CDS.svg Chief of Defence^[15] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:General staff of North Macedonia.svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Norwegian Chief of Defence.svg Chief of Defence Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flaga Szefa Sztabu Generalnego Wojska Polskiego.svg Chief of the General Staff^[16] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Estado-Maior-General das Forças Armadas.svg Chief of the Armed Forces General Staff^[17] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Romanian General Staff (Obverse).svg Chief of Defence^[18] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Chief of the General Staff	Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Emblem of the General staff of the Slovak Armed Forces.svg Chief of the General Staff^[19] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of Chief of General Staff of the Slovenian Army.svg Chief of the General Staff^[20] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chief of the Defence Staff (Spain).svg Chief of the Defence Staff^[21] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Kommandotecken Överbefälhavaren.svg Supreme Commander Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Standard of President of Turkey as Supreme Chief of Armed Forces.svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Commander of the Armed Forces^[22]	Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chief of the Defence Staff.svg Chief of the Defence Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff.svg Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

In 2018 Slovenia appointed the first female Major General Alenka Ermenc to hold such a position in the history of NATO and Slovenia.^[23]^[24]^[25]

CHOD positions by non-NATO EU country

Within the EU member states that are not members of NATO, the following national positions are the CHOD positions.

Country	Position	Term in national language used for the position
Template:Flagcountry	File:Stander General Austria.svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Cypriot National Guard General Staff.svg Chief of the National Guard Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Badge of the Irish Defence Forces.svg Chief of Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag for the Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta.svg Commander of the Armed Forces of Malta^[26] Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Template:Langx

Other Chief of Defence positions by (non-NATO and non-EU) country

Note that in many countries outside of NATO and EU, the concept of civilian control of the military is inapplicable. In some countries the minister of defence is often a senior military officer. However, the list below only lists CHOD equivalents and not defense ministers.

Country	Position	Alternative translations	Term in national language used for the position
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of Staff of the People's National Army Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Chief of the Defence Staff	Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Logo of the Argentine Joint Chiefs of Staff.svg Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of Chief of the Defence Force (Australia).svg Chief of the Defence Force Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Principal Staff Officer Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus.svg Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Botswana Defence Force.svg Commander of the Defence Force Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Flagcountry	File:Bandeira-Insignia do Chefe do Estado-Maior Conjunto das Forças Armadas (Brasil).svg Chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Defence Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:PLA Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission patch.svg Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Chief of General Staff Commanding General of the People's Liberation Army General Staff Department	Template:Zh
Template:Flagcountry	File:Escudo Fuerzas Militares de Colombia.svg General Commander of the Military Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the Defence Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Flagcountry	File:Georgia. Standard of Chief of General Staff.svg Chief of General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Georgian: Script error: No such module "Lang".
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the Defence Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag for the Chief of the General Staff (Guatemala).svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of Chief of Defence Staff (India).svg Chief of Defence Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Insignia of the Indonesian National Armed Forces.svg Commander of the National Armed Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.svg Chief of General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
File:Flag of Iraq.svg Iraq	File:Roundel of Iraq.svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of IDF Chief of Staff.svg Chief of General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chief of Defence Staff of the Jamaica Defence Force 2020.svg Chief of Defence Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of Chief of Staff, Joint Staff (JSDF).svg Chief of Staff, Joint Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of Malaysian Chief of Defence Forces.svg Chief of Defence Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Superior Commander of the Public Services Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services (Myanmar).svg Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of Defence Force Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chief of Defence Staff.png Chief of the Defence Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chief of Army Staff of Nepali Army.svg Chief of Army Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army (Obverse).svg Chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.svg Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Rank flag for the Chief of the Joint Command (Peru).svg Head of the Joint Command of the Armed Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (Philippines).svg Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of Russia's Chief of Staff.svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Superior Commander of the Militias Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Generalštab VS.gif Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of Defence Force Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Lang-zh
Template:Flagcountry	File:The Somali National Army Logo.svg Chief of Armed Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the South African National Defence Force.svg Chief of the National Defence Force Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Template:Flagcountry	File:ROK JCF logo.svg Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of a Swiss Armed Forces general and Chief of the Armed Forces.svg Chief of the Armed Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx Template:Langx Template:Langx Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag of the Chief of the General Staff (Syria) (1980–2024).svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:ROC Ministry of National Defense Flag.svg Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Zh
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the General Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Flag Thai Chief of the Defence Forces.svg Chief of the Defence Forces Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters	Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:Standard of Ukrainian Chief of the General Staff rect.svg Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the Defence Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	File:BANDERA GUARDIA VATICA LEOXIV.svg Commander of the Pontifical Swiss Guard Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".		Template:Langx Template:Langx Template:Langx Template:Langx
Template:Flagcountry	Chief of the Staff Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".	Chief of the General Staff of the People's Army of Vietnam	Template:Langx

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

↑ NATO: Chief of the General Staff of Belgium, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of General Staff of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of the General Staff Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ Estonian Defence Forces: Commander, accessed on November 12, 2014
↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
↑ NATO: Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of Defence Staff Hungarian Army, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Director General of the Directorate for Degfence, accessed on December 15, 2022
↑ Iceland presents a special case since the country does not have its own armed forces as such. Thus, a civilian at the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs fulfills the role of CHOD in relation to NATO.
↑ NATO: Chief of Defense Staff of Italy, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of Defence of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of Staff of the Luxembourg Army, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1"., accessed on November 20, 2012
↑ NATO: Chief of General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of Defence of Portugal, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of Defence of Romania, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Chief of Defence Staff of Spain, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ NATO: Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008
↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

External links

NATO Chiefs of Defence

Template:Chief of military by country

[1] NATO: Chief of the General Staff of Belgium, accessed on October 30, 2008

[2] NATO: Chief of General Staff of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008

[3] NATO: Chief of the General Staff Armed Forces of the Czech Republic, accessed on October 30, 2008

[4] Estonian Defence Forces: Commander, accessed on November 12, 2014

[5] Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

[6] Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

[7] NATO: Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, accessed on October 30, 2008

[8] NATO: Chief of Defence Staff Hungarian Army, accessed on October 30, 2008

[9] NATO: Director General of the Directorate for Degfence, accessed on December 15, 2022

[10] Iceland presents a special case since the country does not have its own armed forces as such. Thus, a civilian at the Icelandic Ministry of Foreign Affairs fulfills the role of CHOD in relation to NATO.

[11] NATO: Chief of Defense Staff of Italy, accessed on October 30, 2008

[12] NATO: Commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008

[13] NATO: Chief of Defence of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008

[14] NATO: Chief of Staff of the Luxembourg Army, accessed on October 30, 2008

[15] Script error: No such module "citation/CS1"., accessed on November 20, 2012

[16] NATO: Chief of General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008

[17] NATO: Chief of Defence of Portugal, accessed on October 30, 2008

[18] NATO: Chief of Defence of Romania, accessed on October 30, 2008

[19] NATO: Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, accessed on October 30, 2008

[20] NATO: Chief of General Staff of the Slovenian Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008

[21] NATO: Chief of Defence Staff of Spain, accessed on October 30, 2008

[22] NATO: Commander of the Turkish Armed Forces, accessed on October 30, 2008

[23] Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

[VOA-24] Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

[25] Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

[26] Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Chief of defence

Contents

Chief of defence positions in NATO member countries

CHOD positions by non-NATO EU country

Other Chief of Defence positions by (non-NATO and non-EU) country

Notes

References

External links

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Chief of defence

Chief of defence positions in NATO member countries

CHOD positions by non-NATO EU country

Other Chief of Defence positions by (non-NATO and non-EU) country

Notes

References

External links

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