Chief of the Army Staff

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Chief of the Army Staff
Incumbent
Lt-General Sir David Emerson-Hill

since 7 May 2012
Nominator Minister of State for Defence
Appointer The Sovereign
Term length Three years
Inaugural Frederick Branson
Formation 7 October 1907

The Chief of the Army Staff (CAS) (known as the Chief of the General Staff until 1960) is the highest post and professional head of the New Ingerland Army. As head, the Chief of the Army Staff is responsible for the overall command of the army, and reports to the Chief of the Defence Force Staff and the Chiefs of Staff Council, of which he is a member along with the other service chiefs. The CAS is not commander-in-chief of the army, which is a position that is held by the King.

The current Chief of the Army Staff is Lt-General Sir David Emerson-Hill.

History

Initially known as Chief of the General Staff, the office dates to 1907, when it replaced the office of Commander-in-Chief of HM New Ingerland Forces (C-in-C). From the time of it's establishment in 1856, the office of C-in-C had always been vested in the Ingerish Resident Commissioner in his capacity as President of the Executive Council[1]. With the demise of the latter in 1907, a new cabinet-level office of Minister of State for Defence was created to assume control over the Defence Force. A new office was therefore required to assume the role of professional head of the Army, leading to the formation of the office of Chief of the General Staff on the 7 October. The first CGS was Lt-General Frederick Branson.

Function and role

The Chief of the Army Staff is the only three-star officer in the New Ingerland Army. Appointments to the position of the CAS are, like the other service chiefs and the Chief of the Defence Force Staff (CDFS), for a three year term. However, unlike the CDFS, convention allows for the appointment to be renewed for an additional three years if merited or required. The change of command occurs on the first Monday in May.

Chiefs of the Army Staff

# Name
(Birth–Death)
In office Duration Appointed by
1 Frederick Branson 1907-1910
2 1910-1914
3 1914-1916
4 1916-1919
5 1919-1922
6 1922-1924
7 1924-1927
8 1927-1930
9 1930-1933
10 1933-1935
11 1935-1937
12 1937-1938
13 1938
14 1938-1944
15 1944-1946
16 1946-1949
17 1949-1951
18 1951-1955
19 1955-1958
20 1958-1960
21
22 Paul Tilley 1980-1983
23 Kingsley Shaw 1983-1986
24 David Lamb 1986-1989
25 Thomas Hutchinson 1989-1995
26 Oliver Monckton 1995-1998
27 David Huckstep 1998-2000
28 Paul Hayes 2000-2003
29 Lt-General Sir Stephen Robertson 2003-2006
30 Lt-General Sir Christopher West 2006-2009
31 Lt-General Sir Giles Flower 2009-2012
32 Lt-General Sir David Emerson-Hill
(Born 29 December 1957)
7 May 2012 – 2015 Crown of New Ingerland
Geoffrey VII
33 Lt-General Sir David Ellis 2015-2018
34 Lt-General Sir Ivan Davies 2018-2021
35 Lt-General Sir Peter Booth 2021-Present Incumbent

References and notes

  1. The two offices were always held to be legally separate, and could in theory have been held by different people. However, no Resident Commissioner ever delegated the command of the Defence Force to a junior minister.