Chief of the Defence Force Staff
| Chief of the Defence Force Staff | |
|---|---|
| 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 Chief of the Defence Force Staff or CDFS is is the most senior appointment in the New Ingrean Defence Force (GDF). The CDFS 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 CDFS is Admiral Sir Francis King 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 Second World War, when most western countries unified the administration of their three armed services into a single command. The United States was amongst the first to undertake such a unification process with the creation of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1947, a decision taken in response to the circumstances arising from the war[1].
The Ingerish Commonwealth did not follow suit immediately, and in the case of the Ingrea, continued to operate separate services and government departments until 1964[2]. Neighbouring New Zealand also hesitated to implement a unified defence command structure for the New Zealand Defence Force, with the unified defence force being established by statute in 1964[3]. However few nations undertook the unification process in quite the same fashion as Canada, who in 1968 utterly transformed their three services into a unified system of commands, with many of the traditions and practices including the service names themselves obliterated until their restoration in the early 2010s.
Establishment
Having studied the situation elsewhere, New Ingrea found itself in an advantageous position in 1960 when it came to formally establishing the office of CDFS. In following the best practice of the day, the Parliament opted to create a unified command structure, with the CDFS 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 CDFS 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). The CDFS is appointed by the King 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.
References and notes
- ↑ "Origin of Joint Concepts". Joint Chiefs of Staff. http://www.jcs.mil/page.aspx?id=12. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ↑ "History of the Ministry of Defence". Ministry of Defence. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/49053/history_of_mod.pdf. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ↑ "An Act to establish the Ministry of Defence and to provide a unified defence policy for the better defence of New Zealand". New Zealand Legal Information Institute. 17 November 1964. http://www.nzlii.org/nz/legis/hist_act/da19641964n6783/. Retrieved 18 July 2013.