Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces

Chief of Staff of Defence Forces Ireland
200px Incumbent Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM (NS) since 29 September 2015
Defence Forces
Member of	National Security Committee
Reports to	Minister for Defence
Nominator	Government of Ireland on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence
Appointer	President of Ireland
Salary	€189,114

The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces (COS) (Irish: Ceann Foirne na bhFórsaí Cosanta) is charged with the executive management of the Irish Defence Forces, and is the most senior military officer of the Army, Naval Service and Air Corps branches. The Chief of Staff is appointed by the President of Ireland, who is the Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces, on the recommendation of the Minister for Defence subject to the approval of the Government of Ireland. The office of the Chief of Staff consists of his personal staff, a strategic planning office and a public relations section.

The Defence Forces Chief of Staff sits on the government's National Security Committee (NSC).

The Chief of Staff delegates remaining executive duties to two Deputy Chiefs of Staff (who hold the rank of Major General or equivalent) and one Assistant Chief of Staff (Brigadier General or equivalent);

• The Deputy Chief of Staff Operations (D COS Ops) is tasked with operational matters.
• The Deputy Chief of Staff Support (D COS Sp) is tasked with military support matters.
• The Assistant Chief of Staff Support (ACOS Sp) is also tasked with military support matters.

The current Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces is Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM of the Naval Service. Vice Admiral Mellett assumed the role on 29 September 2015.

Current General Staff of the Defence Forces

Position	Photograph	Incumbent	Branch
Chief of Staff (COS)	100px	15px Vice Admiral Mark Mellett DSM	25px Naval Service
Deputy Chief of Staff Operations (D COS Ops)	100px	Major General Kieran Brennan	Army
Deputy Chief of Staff Support (D COS Sp)	100px	Major General Kevin Cotter	Army
Assistant Chief of Staff Support (ACOS Sp)	100px	Brigadier General Peter O'Halloran	Army

Brigade Commanders

The country is divided into three areas for administrative and operational reasons, and in each area there is an Irish Army infantry brigade. The two brigade group structure envisages distinct operational areas of responsibility for each of the brigades and is supported in their responsibilities by the Naval Service and Air Corps. Each of the Brigade formations and the Air Corps are commanded by a Brigadier General, while the Naval Service is commanded by a Commodore;

Position	Photograph	Incumbent	Branch
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1st Brigade	100px	Brigadier General Philip Brennan	Army
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2nd Brigade	100px	Brigadier General Michael Beary	Army
General Officer Commanding Defence Forces Training Centre (GOC DFTC)	100px	Brigadier General Joe Mulligan	Army
General Officer Commanding (GOC) Air Corps	100px	Brigadier General Paul Fry	Air Corps
Flag Officer Commanding the Naval Service (FOCNS)	100px	Commodore Hugh Tully	25px Naval Service

List of Irish Chiefs of Staff

No.	Image	Rank	Name	Branch	Date appointed	Relinquished appointment	Time in appointment
1.		Lieutenant General	Eoin O'Duffy	Army	February 1922	July 1922
2.	File:Dickmulc.jpg	Lieutenant General	Richard Mulcahy	Army	July 1922	August 1922
3.		Lieutenant General	Seán Mac Mahon	Army	August 1922	March 1924
4.		Lieutenant General	Peadar MacMahon	Army	March 1924	March 1927
5.		Lieutenant General	Daniel Hogan	Army	March 1927	February 1929
6.	75px	Lieutenant General	Seán Mac Eoin	Army	February 1929	October 1929
7.		Lieutenant General	Joseph Sweeney	Army	October 1929	October 1931
8.		Lieutenant General	Michael Brennan	Army	October 1931	January 1940
9.		Lieutenant General	Daniel McKenna	Army	January 1940	January 1949
10.		Lieutenant General	Liam Archer	Army	January 1949	January 1952
11.		Lieutenant General	W. A. Egan	Army	January 1952	December 1954
12.		Lieutenant General	Patrick Mulcahy	Army	January 1955	December 1959
13.		Lieutenant General	John McKeown	Army	January 1960	December 1960
14.		Lieutenant General	Sean Collins Powell	Army	January 1961	March 1962
15.		Lieutenant General	John McKeown (2nd term)	Army	April 1962	March 1971
16.		Lieutenant General	Thomas O'Carroll	Army	April 1971	July 1976
17.		Lieutenant General	Carl O'Sullivan	Army	August 1976	June 1981
17.		Lieutenant General	Louis Hogan DSM	Army	June 1981	April 1984
18.		Lieutenant General	Gerald O'Sullivan	Army	April 1984	February 1986
19.		Lieutenant General	Tadgh O'Neill	Army	February 1986	October 1989
20.		Lieutenant General	James Parker	Army	October 1989	April 1992
21.		Lieutenant General	Noel Bergin	Army	April 1992	December 1994
22.		Lieutenant General	Gerald McMahon	Army	February 1995	August 1998
23.		Lieutenant General	David Stapleton	Army	August 1998	24 September 2000
24.		Lieutenant General	Colm Mangan	Army	25 September 2000	20 February 2004
25.		Lieutenant General	James Sreenan	Army	21 February 2004	28 June 2007
26.	75px	Lieutenant General	Dermot Earley DSM	Army	28 June 2007	9 June 2010
27.	75px	Lieutenant General	Sean McCann	Army	9 June 2010	12 August 2013
28.	75px	Lieutenant General	Conor O'Boyle	Army	12 August 2013	29 September 2015
28.	75px	Vice Admiral	Mark Mellett DSM	25px Naval Service	29 September 2015	Currently in appointment

See also

• Director of Military Intelligence (Ireland)
• Garda Commissioner