Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee
| Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee | |
|---|---|
| Style | Admiral |
| Nominator | Colin Perrott |
| Appointer | Geoffrey VII |
| Term length | Three years |
| Inaugural | Admiral Sir Stephen Chandler |
| Formation | 1 May 1960 |
| Salary | £5,797 |
The Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee or CCSC is is the most senior appointment in the New Ingrean Defence Force (NIDF). The CCSC commands the defence force under the direction of the Minister of Defence, and and jointly manages the defence establishment under a dual management administration with the Permanent Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Ministry of Defence. The current Chairman is Admiral Sir Charles Howard from the Royal New Ingrean Navy.
History
Background
The origins of the role of Chief of the Defence Force Staff can be traced by the period after the Great War, when most western countries unified the administration of their three armed services into a single command. Having been afforded the time to study the situation elsewhere, New Ingrea found itself in an advantageous position in 1960 when it came to formally establishing the office of CCSC. In following the best practice of the day, the Parliament opted to create a unified command structure, with the CCSC assisted by the existing Chiefs of Staff Council. The Council would comprise of the three service chiefs, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence and the Minister of State for Defence. The first Chief was Admiral Sir Stephen Chandler.
Function and powers
The Chief of the Defence Force Staff is the only active four-star officer in the defence force at any given time, and therefore carries the rank of General, Admiral or Air Chief Marshal. He is assisted by the individual service chiefs (Chief of the Naval Staff, Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of the Air Force Staff), all of whom sit with him on the Joint Defence Headquarters Chiefs of Staff Council.
The position of CCSC is a fixed term appointment of three years, and is usually rotated between the three services in order of seniority (Navy, Army and Air Force, but never the Coast Guard). The CCSC is appointed by the Governor-General under advice of the Prime Minister. The appointment is politically neutral, as all military positions are, and is not affected by a change of government.