Chief of Defence Force Staff | |
---|---|
Country | ![]() |
Allegiance | ![]() ![]() |
The Chief of Defence Force Staff (C Def F S) was a post in the South African Defence Force and the South African National Defence Force.
The Chief of Defence Force Staff was a lieutenant general post in the South African Defence Force which traces its origins from the sixties. In the middle sixties, the expansion of the Defence Force necessitated some changes to the overall structure and at that time, the posts of GOC Joint Combat Forces (GOC JCF), Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Defence Force Administration to name a few were established. In 1976 this post ceased to exist and was re-established in 1986 [1] during Gen Johannes Geldenhuys' term as C SADF. Its role was to coordinate all efforts of Chief of Staff Personnel , Chief of Staff Intelligence, Chief of Staff Operations, Chief of Staff Logistics, Chief of Staff Finances and Chief of Staff Planning for the Chief of the Defence Force.
The staff divisions were numbered as follows:
Note: All these divisions had a three star rank as a chief of staff.
General Johannes Jacobus (Jannie) Geldenhuys, was a South African military commander who served as Chief of the South African Defence Force from 1985 to 1990.
General Andreas "Kat" Liebenberg, was a South African military commander. He served as General Officer Commanding South African Special Forces (1982–85), Chief of the Army (1985–90) and Chief of the South African Defence Force (1990–93).
General Georg Meiring is a South African military commander. He served as Chief of the Army (1990–93) and Chief of the South African National Defence Force (1993–98).
Daniel Pieter 'Neil' Knobel was a South African military commander. A medical doctor, he was Surgeon-General, in command of the South African Medical Service, from 1988 to 1997.
Vice Admiral Glen Syndercombe was a former Chief of the South African Navy.
The School of Artillery is the South African Army's specialized artillery training school
Lieutenant General Gilbert Lebeko Ramano is a South African military commander.
Lieutenant-General James Kriel was a South African military commander. He joined the South African Air Force in 1959.
Denis John Earp was a South African military commander, who held the post of Chief of the South African Air Force.
Vice Admiral Andries Petrus Putter was a South African military commander who served as Chief of the South African Navy twice, first from 1982 to 1985 and again from 1989 to 1990. He was born in Brits in 1935.
Lieutenant General Jan van Loggerenberg was a former South African military commander, who held the post of Chief of the South African Air Force.
Lieutenant General Michal Muller was a South African military commander, who held the post of Chief of the South African Air Force
The Star of South Africa, Gold, post-nominal letters SSA, is the senior decoration of two military and five non-military classes of the Order of the Star of South Africa, a South African Order which was instituted in 1975, for award to general and flag officers of the South African Defence Force. The Order of the Star of South Africa was discontinued in 2002.
Major General Frederich ('Fritz') Wilhelm Loots was a general in the South African Defence Force (SADF). He was founder of the South African Special Forces and their first commanding officer.
Lieutenant General Willem Hendrik Hechter is a former Chief of the South African Air Force.
Vice Admiral Marthinus Bekker was a former South African Navy officer, who served as Chief of the SADF Staff.
Lieutenant General Ian Rimbault Gleeson was a South African Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff.
Lieutenant-General Pierre Derksen Steyn is a retired South African Air Force officer who served as Secretary for Defence from 1994 to 1998, and as Chief of Defence Force Staff from 1990 to 1993. He is also known as the chair of the Steyn Commission, which from 1992 to 1993 investigated allegations of criminal and third force activity by the apartheid-era South African Defence Force.
Vice Admiral Paul Murray is a retired South African Navy officer who served as Chief of Staff Finance for the South African Defence Force before his retirement in 1993.