A commander-in-chief, sometimes also called supreme commander, is the person that exercises supreme command and control over an armed forces or a military branch. As a technical term, it refers to military competencies that reside in a country's executive leadership – a head of state or a head of government.
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is, by U.S. law, the highest-ranking and senior-most military officer in the United States Armed Forces and is the principal military advisor to the President, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. While the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff outranks all other commissioned officers, the Chairman is prohibited by law from having operational command authority over the armed forces; however, the Chairman does assist the President and the Secretary of Defense in exercising their command functions.
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister. The Chief of the Defence Staff is based at the Ministry of Defence and works alongside the Permanent Under Secretary, the Ministry's senior civil servant. The Chief of the Defence Staff is the British equivalent position of what in NATO and the European Union is known as the Chief of Defence.
The title chief of staff identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide-de-camp to an important individual, such as a president, or a senior military officer, or leader of a large organization.
The Defence Services Secretary is a senior member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom.
The Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (VCDS) is the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces. The position was titled Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff before 1964. From 1966 to 1978 the post was occupied by a 3 star officer. From 1978 onwards the post has been held by a 4 star officer.
The Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera), is awarded to members of the Singapore Armed Forces for exceptionally distinguished performance or extraordinary service, or the furtherance of links with overseas forces.
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the most senior appointment in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, and the highest-ranking military officer in service, outranking the heads of each service branch. The CDS does not, however, have operational command authority over service branches, but rather oversees inter-service co-operation and develops and implements the joint operations doctrine of the Sri Lankan armed forces. Coordination of inter-service joint operations are handled by the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff formally known as the Joint Operations Headquarters.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is the military staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is the central organ of the Armed Forces Administration and oversees operational management of the armed forces under the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.
Vice Admiral Vijay Shankar is a retired Indian Navy officer who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and as the Commander-in-Chief of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Armed Forces. His prior commands included that as the Flag Officer Commanding, Western Fleet (FOCWF). He also served as the Commanding Officer of INS Viraat (R22), INS Ganga (F22), INS Himgiri (F34) and INS Panaji (1960).
The Chief of Defence is the highest-ranking military officer in the Armed forces of the Netherlands and is the principal military advisor to the Minister of Defence. On behalf of the Minister of Defence, he is responsible for operational policy, strategic planning and for preparing and executing military operations carried out by the Armed forces. The Chief of Defence is in charge of the central staff and is the direct commanding officer of all the commanders of the branches of the Armed forces. In this capacity the Chief of Defence directs all the activities of the Royal Netherlands Army, the Royal Netherlands Navy and Royal Netherlands Air Force. He is also in charge of the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, when it is operating under the responsibility of the Minister of Defence.
The Vice Chief of the Defence Staff is the third most senior member of the Canadian Forces, reporting to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) as well as the Deputy Minister of National Defence. The Directorate General Executive Coordination, the Canadian Forces Provost Marshal, the National Cadet and Junior Canadian Rangers Support Group and several other departments report to the VCDS, who is appointed by the CDS.
Vice Admiral Mathew Quashie is a Ghanaian naval officer and was the twenty-ninth Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces. He also served as the Chief of Naval Staff of the Ghana Navy from 3 April 2009 to 28 March 2013.
Rear Admiral Geoffrey Mawuli Biekro is a Ghanaian Military Officer. He served as the Chief of Naval Staff from March 2013 to January 2016. His appointment to the position was done after Vice Admiral Matthew Quashie was elevated to Chief of Defence Staff.
Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo is a Ghanaian former military officer and served as the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from August 1983 to September 1989. He took over from Flight Lieutenant J. J. Rawlings and handed over to Lieutenant General Winston Mensa-Wood. He was also the first commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) which intervened in Liberia to help end the civil war. He also served twice as Army Commander, first in 1979 following the coup-d'état by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council which overthrew the Supreme Military Council. He was replaced when the Limann government was elected. He was however re-appointed as Chief of Army Staff following the coup by the Provisional National Defence Council and later as General Officer Commanding the Ghana Armed Forces.
Lieutenant General Ben Akafia is a retired Ghanaian military officer and served as the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from October 1996 to February 2001. He took over from Air Marshal Achilles Harry Kwami Dumashie and handed over to Lieutenant General Seth Kofi Obeng. He was appointed in 2001 as Ghana's Ambassador to Egypt. He was awarded the National Honour of Member of the Order of the Star of Ghana (MSG) by the President of Ghana on 6 January 2001. He has five sons and a daughter.
Vice-Admiral Mark A. G. Norman is a Royal Canadian Navy officer. On August 5, 2016, he assumed the appointment of Vice Chief of the Defence Staff of Canada, but was temporarily relieved from the post on January 16, 2017. He was permanently removed from the post on June 27, 2018, for allegedly releasing sensitive government information to affect a procurement of naval supply ships, which potentially constituted a breach of trust.
Ola Sa'ad Ibrahim is a retired Nigerian Navy admiral and former Chief of the Defence Staff of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The head of the Ghana Navy is known by the official title of Chief of Naval Staff in the Ghana Armed Forces. The list of former heads lies below. The current Chief of Naval Staff is Rear Admiral Seth Amoama. He was appointed to the position by President Akuffo-Addo on 21st December 2018.
