Chief of Army (New Zealand) explained

Post:	Chief
Body:	Army
Insignia:	Crest of the New Zealand Army.svg
Incumbent:	Rose King
Acting:	yes
Incumbentsince:	7 June 2024
Style:	Major General
Abbreviation:	CA
Member Of:	New Zealand Defence Force
Reports To:	Chief of Defence Force
Termlength:	Three years,
Termlength Qualified:	renewable
Formation:	7 December 1910
First:	Maj Gen Sir Alexander Godley

Chief of Army (CA) is the effective commander of the New Zealand Army, responsible to the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) for raising, training and sustaining those forces necessary to meet agreed government outputs. The CA acts as principal advisor to the CDF on Army matters, though for operations the Army's combat units fall under the command of the Land Component Commander, Joint Forces New Zealand. The rank associated with the position is major general, and CAs are generally appointed on a three-year term.^[1]

The position was originally formed as Commandant and General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Military Forces in 1910, changing to Chief of the General Staff in 1937 and, finally, CA in 2002.^[2] Major General John Boswell, the latest CA, was held the post from 1 September 2018 to 7 June 2024.^[3] ^[4]

Appointees

The below indicated * (asterisk) indicates that the individual was subsequently promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Chief of Defence Force.

The following list chronologically records those who have held the post of Chief of Army or its preceding positions, with rank and honours as at the completion of the individual's term.^[2]

!No.!Portrait!Name!Postnominals!Took office!Left office
Commandant and General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Military Forces
1	Major GeneralSir Alexander John Godley(1867 - 1957)	7 December 1910	10 September 1914
2	Major GeneralSir Alfred William Robin(1860 - 1935)	11 September 1914	9 December 1919
3	Major GeneralSir Edward Walter Clervaux Chaytor(1868 - 1939)	10 December 1919	31 April 1924
4	Major GeneralCharles William Melvill(1878 - 1925)	1 May 1924	6 December 1925
5	Major General Robert Young(1877 - 1953)	7 December 1925	31 March 1931
6	Major GeneralSir William Livingston Hatchwell Sinclair-Burgess(1880 - 1964)	1 April 1931	31 March 1937
Chief of the General Staff
1	Major GeneralSir John Evelyn Duigan(1883 - 1950)	1 April 1937	31 May 1941
2	Lieutenant GeneralSir Edward Puttick(1890 - 1976)	1 August 1941	31 December 1945
3	Major GeneralSir Norman William McDonald Weir(1893 - 1961)	1 January 1946	31 March 1949
4	Major GeneralKeith Lindsay Stewart(1896 - 1972)	1 April 1949	31 March 1952
5	Major GeneralWilliam George Gentry(1899 - 1991)	1 April 1952	14 August 1955
6	Major GeneralStephen Cyril Ettrick Weir(1904 - 1969)	15 August 1955	30 August 1960
7	Major GeneralLeonard Whitmore Thornton (1916 - 1999)	1 September 1960	31 March 1965
8	Major GeneralWalter Sneddon McKinnon(1916 - 1999)	1 April 1965	31 March 1967
9	Major GeneralRobert Boyd Dawson(1916 - 1977)	1 April 1967	31 March 1970
10	Major GeneralRichard James Holden Webb (1919 - 1990)	1 April 1970	28 September 1971
11	Major GeneralLeslie Arthur Pearce(1918 - 2002)	29 September 1971	30 September 1973
12	Major GeneralRobin Hugh Ferguson Holloway(1922 - 1998)	1 October 1973	14 November 1976
13	Major GeneralRonald Douglas Patrick Hassett(1923 - 2004)	15 November 1976	15 November 1978
14	Major GeneralBrian Matauru Poananga(1924 - 1995)	16 November 1978	15 November 1981
15	Major GeneralRobin Guy Williams(1930 - 2023)	16 November 1981	11 December 1984
16	Major GeneralJohn Airth Mace (born 1932)	12 December 1984	30 November 1987
17	Major GeneralDonald Stuart McIver(1936 - 2016)	1 December 1987	28 February 1989
18	Major GeneralBruce Meldrum(1938 - 2006)	1 March 1989	29 February 1992
19	Major GeneralAnthony Leonard Birks(1941 - 2002)	1 March 1992	24 February 1995
20	Major GeneralPiers Martin Reid(1942 - 2012)	25 February 1995	25 February 1998
21	Major GeneralMaurice Francis Dodson	26 February 1998	February 2002
22	Major GeneralJeremiah Mateparae	February 2002	mid-2002
Chief of Army
1	Major GeneralJeremiah Mateparae	mid-2002	30 April 2006
2	Major GeneralLouis Joseph Gardiner(1952 - 2015)	1 May 2006	30 April 2009
3	Major GeneralRichard Rhys Jones	1 May 2009	23 January 2011
4	Major GeneralTimothy James Keating	February 2011	December 2012
5	Major GeneralArthur David Gawn	25 February 2013	9 September 2015
6	Major GeneralPeter Te Aroha Emile Kelly	10 September 2015	31 August 2018
7	Major GeneralJohn Boswell	1 September 2018	7 June 2024

Notes and References

Web site: The New Zealand Army Leadership Team. 23 June 2014. New Zealand Army. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140701131607/http://army.mil.nz/about-us/who-we-are/our-leaders/default.htm. 1 July 2014.
Web site: Chronological List of New Zealand Army Chiefs. https://web.archive.org/web/20071130045617/http://www.regiments.org/biography/defchiefs/nzCinC.htm. 30 November 2007. Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth. regiments.org.
News: 21 August 2018 . New Chiefs Appointed for All Three Branches of the Armed Forces . . 11 September 2018.
Web site: Chief of Army Major General John Boswell returned to Waiouru Military Camp to formally relinquish his command of Ngāti Tumatauenga, our New Zealand Army. 10 June 2024. New Zealand Army.