The Chief of Georgian Defense Forces ( ka, საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალების მეთაური, tr) is a

chief of defence The chief of defence (or head of defence) is the highest ranked commissioned officer of a nation's armed forces. The acronym CHOD is in common use within NATO and the European Union as a generic term for the highest national military position withi ...

and commander of the

Defense Forces of Georgia The Defence Forces of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალები, tr), or Georgian Defence Forces (GDF), are the combined military forces of Georgia, tasked with the defense of the nation's indep ...

, under the authority of the Government of Georgia.

History

The position was (re)introduced in accordance with the Georgian Law on Defense of 31 October 2018. It had its precursor —the Commander-in-Chief of the Army— in the

Democratic Republic of Georgia The Democratic Republic of Georgia (DRG; ka, საქართველოს დემოკრატიული რესპუბლიკა ') was the first modern establishment of a republic of Georgia, which existed from May 1918 to ...

from 1918 to 1921. From the 1990s until 2018 the

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Af ...

was the highest-ranking military officer in the Georgian military, chief military adviser to the President, and wartime commander of the Armed Forces of Georgia. The first holder of the position was Lieutenant General

Vladimer Chachibaia Vladimer Chachibaia ( ka, ვლადიმერ ჩაჩიბაია) (born 4 November 1971) is a Georgian lieutenant general (2019) and former Chief of Georgian Defense Forces from 20 December 2018 to 1 July 2020, the first to be appoin ...

. The incumbent is Major General

Giorgi Matiashvili Giorgi Matiashvili ( ka, გიორგი მათიაშვილი; born 18 December 1977) is a Georgian major general and the incumbent Chief of Georgian Defense Forces, appointed on 1 July 2020. Born in the town of Gardabani, Matiashv ...

Functions and responsibilities

The Chief of Georgian Defense Forces is a chief military officer in the Georgian Defense Forces (GDF). They oversee the coherence of the armed forces organization,

combat readiness readiness is a condition of the armed forces and their constituent units and formations, warships, aircraft, weapon systems or other military technology and equipment to perform during combat military operations, or functions consistent with the ...

and

mobilization Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and ...

as well as military development of the GDF, and are responsible for conduct of operations in war, including plans of use, general articulation of forces, and distribution of operational means between various groups of forces. The Chief of Georgian Defense Forces is aided, in their functions, by the General Staff of the Georgian Defense Forces. One of the Chief's deputies can, simultaneously, serve as the Chief of the General Staff. The Chief of Georgian Defense Forces is appointed and dismissed by the

President of Georgia President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

(on the advice of the

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

) after the candidacy has been nominated by the

Minister of Defense A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

and submitted to the Presidency by the Government of Georgia. The nominee must have the highest military rank and high military education. The Chief reports to the Minister of Defense, the Prime Minister, and the President.

List

Commanders-in-Chief of the Democratic Republic of Georgia (1918–1921)

Chiefs of Georgian Defense Forces (Since 2018)

References

{{Chief of military by country Chiefs of defence Military of Georgia (country) 2018 establishments in Georgia (country)