Major General of the Defence Staff (France) explained

Post:	Major General
Body:	the Defence Staff
Insignia:	Emblème de l'État-Major des armées (EMA).svg
Insigniacaption:	Insignia of the Armed Forces Staff
Incumbent:	Admiral Jean Casabianca
Incumbentsince:	1 September 2018
Department:	Ministry of the Armed Forces
Type:	Part of a military staff
Abbreviation:	M.G.A.
Member Of:	Chiefs of Staff Committee
Reports To:	Chief of the Defence Staff
Seat:	Hexagone Balard, Paris
Appointer:	President of the Republic
Appointer Qualified:	Requires the Prime Minister's countersignature
Termlength:	No fixed term
Formation:	28 April 1948
First:	Henri Zeller
Website:	www.defense.gouv.fr

The Major General of the Defence Staff (French: Major Général des Armées,, acronym: M.G.A.) is a high ranking general officer of the French Armed Forces and the deputy to the Chief of the Defence Staff. As such, it is the second highest position in the armed forces. Major Generals are nominated by the Minister of the Armed Forces and appointed by the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the French Republic. The designation of Major General is not indicative of any rank but is rather a position, as the most recent office holders were all four star generals (OF-9).

History

The office was established on 28 April 1948, during the reorganization of the French higher hierarchy.^[1]

Duties

The major general leads the Defence Staff and is assisted by three general officers: the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations (OPS), the Deputy Chief of Staff for Planning (PLANS) and the Deputy Chief of Staff for Performance (PERF).

They replace the chief of staff when necessary. As a flag officer, they are the commanding officer of the Site of Balard, headquarters of the French Armed Forces and the Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Office holders

	Portrait	Rank & Name	Term			Branch		Commander-in-Chief	Ref.
Took office <	-- In France the term starts the day following the date of the decree, unless a date is specified in it. -->	Left office <	-- In France the term ends the day the successor starts his term. -->	Duration
Office established
1		Division general				Army	Pierre-Henri Teitgen René Mayer Paul Ramadier	Vincent Auriol	^[2] -
2		Air brigade general				Air Force	Paul Ramadier René Pleven Jules Moch Georges Bidault René Pleven		^[3] -
								René Coty
3		Division general				Army	René Pleven Pierre Kœnig [...] Pierre Kœnig Pierre Billotte		^[4] -
4		Air division general				Air Force	Pierre Billotte Maurice Bourgès-Maunoury [...] Pierre de Chevigné Pierre Guillaumat		^[5] -
5		Army general				Army	Pierre Guillaumat Pierre Messmer		^[6] -
								Charles de Gaulle
6		Air corps general				Air Force	Pierre Messmer		^[7] -
		...
		Air corps general				Air Force	...	Valéry Giscard d'Estaing	^[8] -
		Air corps general				Air Force	...		^[9] -
								François Mitterrand
		Squadron vice-admiral				Navy	...		^[10] -
		Squadron vice-admiral				Navy	...		^[11] -
		Squadron vice-admiral				Navy	André Giraud Jean-Pierre Chevènement		^[12] -
		Division general				Army	Jean-Pierre Chevènement Pierre Joxe		^[13] -
		Air corps general				Air Force	Pierre Joxe François Léotard		^[14] -
		Air corps general				Air Force	François Léotard Charles Millon		^[15] -
								Jacques Chirac
		Corps general				Army	Charles Millon		^[16] -
		Air corps general				Air Force	Charles Millon Alain Richard		^[17] -
		Air corps general				Air Force	Alain Richard		^[18] -
		Air corps general				Air Force	Alain Richard Michèle Alliot-Marie		^[19] -
		Counter admiral				Navy	Michèle Alliot-Marie		^[20] -
		Admiral				Navy	Michèle Alliot-Marie Hervé Morin		^[21] -
								Nicolas Sarkozy
		Admiral				Navy	Hervé Morin		^[22] -
		Army general				Army	Hervé Morin Alain Juppé Gérard Longuet Jean-Yves Le Drian		^[23] -
								François Hollande
		Air army general				Air Force	Jean-Yves Le Drian		^[24] -
		Admiral				Navy	Jean-Yves Le Drian Sylvie Goulard Florence Parly		^[25] -
								Emmanuel Macron
		Admiral		Incumbent		Navy	Florence Parly		^[26] ^[27]

References

Notes

Notes and References

1. Web site: Décret portant regroupement des états-major généraux de la guerre, de la marine et de l'air et création de l'état-major général des forces armées. French. 28 April 1948. 20 August 2019. gallica.bnf.fr. Government of the French Republic. 16 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190816043817/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1576584k/f10.item. live.
2. Web site: Decree appointing a general officer. Government of the French Republic. gallica.bnf.fr. French. 28 April 1948. 27 September 2020. 29 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191229234013/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k1576584k/f11.item. live.
3. Web site: Decree appointing a general officer. Government of the French Republic. gallica.bnf.fr. French. 10 July 1949. 27 September 2020. 9 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220409105318/https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k15733342/f17.item. live.
4. JORF #108 - P4405 - 11 May 1954
5. JORF #254 - P10608 - 27 October 1955
6. JORF #236 - P9221 - 8 October 1958
7. JORF #077 - P3828 - 2 April 1959
8. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 7 April 1977. 1 March 2020.
9. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 6 July 1979. 1 March 2020.
10. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 3 October 1983. 1 March 2020.
11. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 6 February 1985. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094303/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000689967. live.
12. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 23 December 1986. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094245/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000881945. live.
13. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 7 November 1990. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094250/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000343776. live.
14. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 20 July 1992. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094238/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000540765. live.
15. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 9 May 1994. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094246/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000548651. live.
16. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 3 August 1995. 1 March 2020. 29 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191229084555/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000736940. live.
17. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 1 August 1996. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094241/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000379352. live.
18. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 19 March 1998. 1 March 2020. 14 November 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161114082909/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000570974. live.
19. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 8 July 1999. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094307/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000576790. live.
20. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 1 August 2002. 1 March 2020. 5 August 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180805052531/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000592478. live.
21. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 4 July 2005. 1 March 2020. 26 June 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220626112827/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000259183. live.
22. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 2 August 2007. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094836/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000000470891. live.
23. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 11 March 2010. 1 March 2020. 14 March 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200314035850/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000021961612. live.
24. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 16 January 2014. 1 March 2020. 24 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191224161607/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000028471566. live.
25. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 7 July 2016. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094725/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000032855453. live.
26. Web site: Décret portant affectation d'un officier général. Government of the French Republic. French. legifrance.gouv.fr. 11 July 2018. 1 March 2020. 2 May 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240502094812/https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000037182160. live.
27. News: U.S. Navy Europe’s Top Admiral Highlights French-American Alliance. Naval News. 17 September 2019. Xavier Vavasseur. 1 March 2020. 28 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191028205208/https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2019/09/u-s-navy-europes-top-admiral-highlights-french-american-alliance/. live.