Chief of the Defence Staff (Atmora)

Chief of the Defence Staff
Chef Defensiestaf
Flag of the Chief of the Defence Staff
Incumbent Field Marshal Lord Kesteven since 12 March 2016
Department of National Defence
Abbreviation	CDS
Member of	Defence Council • Chiefs of Staff Committe • Privy Council • High Command
Reports to	Commander-in-Chief
Nominator	Defence Minister
Appointer	Commander-in-Chief
Term length	At Her Majesty's pleasure
First holder	Field Marshal Sijbrand van Manstein
Deputy	Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff

The Chief of the Defence Staff (Dutch: Chef Defensiestaf, CDS) is the highest-ranking military officer in the Atmoran Armed Forces and is the principal military advisor to the Commander-in-Chief, Chancellor, Defence Council, and the Minister of National Defence. On behalf of the Minister of National Defence, he is responsible for operational policy, strategic planning and for preparing and executing military operations carried out by the Armed forces.

Subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Staff are the commanders of the branches of the Armed Forces, the Chief of Spatial Operations, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, and Chief of the Marechaussee Staff, and the commanders of the Joint Support Service and Joint Medical Service.

Responsibilities

The main role of the Chief of Defence is as an intermediary between the Ministry of National Defence and the High Command of the Atmoran Armed Forces. He makes operational policy and is responsible to the Commander-in-Chief for military-strategic planning, operations and deployment of the Armed Forces. The Chief of the Defence Staff is the direct commanding officer of the commanders of the branches of the Armed forces.

List of Chiefs of the Defence Staff

No. Portrait Chiefs of the Defence Staff Took Office Left Office Time in Office Defence branch 1 Field Marshal Baron Sijbrand van Manstein (1898–1987) 18 May 1942 7 April 1948 2151 days Atmoran Army 2 Field Marshal Jonkheer Klaas van Corbach-Boesschen (1898–1987) 7 April 1948 14 September 1956 3082 days Atmoran Army 3 Grand Admiral Prince Jan-Pieter van Hossen (1907–1997) 14 September 1956 7 March 1962 2000 days Royal Atmoran Navy 4 Marshal of the Air Force Gerrit-Jan Koppelman (1909–2001) 7 March 1962 27 October 1968 2426 days Royal Atmoran Air Force 5 Field Marshal Percival Thomas L. Bridget, 16th Duke of Dalkeith ((1896–1979) 27 October 1968 7 June 1973 1684 days Atmoran Army 6 Grand Admiral Baron Mechiel van Koninenbeldt (1911-1976) 7 June 1973 21 February 1976 989 days Royal Atmoran Navy 7 Marshal of the Air Force Ridder Wouter Berendsen op de Schulenborg (1921-2012) 21 February 1973 1 November 1979 1349 days Royal Atmoran Air Force 8 Field Marshal Adolf Heusinger (1903-2016) 1 November 1979 9 May 1986 2381 days Atmoran Army 9 Grand Admiral Laurence DeWolff (1913-2008) 9 May 1986 17 September 1991 1957 days Royal Atmoran Navy 10 Marshal of the Air Force Jan-Bart Sijbrandse (1921-2026) 17 September 1991 8 July 1999 2851 days Royal Atmoran Air Force 11 Field Marshal Matthijs Ruitenbach (1957-2073) 8 July 1999 26 October 2005 2302 days Atmoran Army 12 Grand Admiral Count Arthur van Guderian (1964-2082) 26 October 2005 3 March 2011 1954 days Royal Atmoran Navy 13 Marshal of the Air Force Count Mannes van Loevezijn (born 1955) 3 March 2011 12 March 2016 1832 days Royal Atmoran Air Force 14 H.Ill.H Field Marshal Flynt Wyatt de Smit, 1st Marquess of Kesteven (born 1943) 12 March 2016 Incumbent Atmoran Army