| Chief of Staff of Defence Forces Ireland | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of | National Security Committee |
| Reports to | Minister for Defence |
| Nominator | Government of Ireland on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence |
| Appointer | President of Ireland |
| Website | Official website |
The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (COS) (Irish : Ceann Foirne na bhFórsaí Cosanta) is charged with the executive management of the Irish Defence Forces, and is the most senior military officer of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps branches. The Chief of Staff is appointed by the President of Ireland, who is the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence subject to the approval of the Government of Ireland. The office of the Chief of Staff consists of his personal staff, a strategic planning office and a public relations section. [1]
Irish is a Goidelic (Gaelic) language originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is spoken as a first language in substantial areas of counties Galway, Kerry, Cork and Donegal, smaller areas of Waterford, Mayo and Meath, and a few other locations, and as a second language by a larger group of non-habitual speakers across the country.
The Defence Forces, are the military of Ireland. They encompass the Army, Air Corps, Naval Service and Reserve Defence Forces.
The Irish Army, known simply as the Army, is the land component of the Defence Forces of Ireland. As of May 2016, approximately 7,300 men and women serve in the Irish Army on a permanent basis and 1,600 active Reservists, divided into two geographically organised brigades. As well as maintaining its primary roles of defending the State and internal security within the State, since 1958 the Army has had a continuous presence in peacekeeping missions around the world. The Army also participates in the European Union Battlegroups. The Air Corps and Naval Service support the Army in carrying out its roles.
Contents
- Current General Staff of the Defence Forces
- Overseas
- Brigade Commanders
- List of Irish Chiefs of Staff
- See also
- References
The Defence Forces Chief of Staff sits on the government's National Security Committee (NSC). [2]
The National Security Committee (NSC) of Ireland is a secretive inter-departmental committee responsible for ensuring that the Taoiseach and Government of Ireland are kept informed of high-level national security, intelligence and defence issues, and the state's response to them.
The Chief of Staff delegates remaining executive duties to two Deputy Chiefs of Staff (who hold the rank of Major General or equivalent) and one Assistant Chief of Staff (Brigadier General or equivalent);
Major general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparently confusing phenomenon whereby a lieutenant general outranks a major general while a major outranks a lieutenant.
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000 troops. In some countries a brigadier general is informally designated as a one-star general (OF-6).
- The Deputy Chief of Staff Operations (D COS Ops) is tasked with operational matters.
- The Deputy Chief of Staff Support (D COS Sp) is tasked with military support matters.
- The Assistant Chief of Staff Support (ACOS Sp) is also tasked with military support matters. [1]
The current Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces is Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM of the Naval Service. Vice Admiral Mellett assumed the role on 29 September 2015. [3]
Vice admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to lieutenant general and air marshal. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral. In many navies, vice admiral is a three-star rank with a NATO code of OF-8, although in some navies like the French Navy it is an OF-7 rank, the OF-8 code corresponding to the four-star rank of squadron vice-admiral.
Mark Mellett, DSM, is an Irish Naval Service Vice admiral and the current Chief of Staff of Ireland's Defence Forces since September 2015.
The Distinguished Service Medal (DSM) is a military decoration issued by the Irish Government. After the Military Medal for Gallantry, it is the next highest award of the Military awards and decorations of Ireland.
