Angus Houston, Chief of the Defence Force (left);
Murray Gleeson, former Chief Justice of Australia (second from left);
Jon Stanhope, Chief Minister of the A.C.T. (centre);
Peter Cosgrove, previous Chief of the Defence Force (second from right); and
Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister of Australia (right).
Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.[1][2]
The position is a fixed-term appointment of three years, and is notionally rotated between the three services (Navy, Army and Air Force). However in practice this has not been the case: of eighteen appointees, ten have been from the Army, five from the Navy and three from the Air Force.[3]
During peacetime, the CDF is the only four-star officer in the ADF (admiral, general, or air chief marshal). He is assisted by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force and the individual service chiefs—Chief of Navy, Chief of Army, and Chief of Air Force—all of whom are three-star officers (vice admiral, lieutenant general, or air marshal).
The CDF is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of his/her ministers. The appointment is politically neutral, as are all military positions, and not affected by a change of government.
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History
Prior to 1958 there was no CDF or equivalent; a Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) existed but no separate position was established as its senior officer. Instead, the senior service chief served as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.[4] In March 1958, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wells was appointed Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, a role independent of and notionally senior to the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs. However Wells and his successors did not command the Australian armed forces in any legal sense; the Chairman had only an advisory role in the running of the separate services. In February 1976, COSC was dissolved and the new position of Chief of Defence Force Staff (CDFS) was created with command authority over the ADF. In October 1984 the position was renamed Chief of the Defence Force to more clearly reflect the role and its authority.[5]
Appointments
| Name | Service | Term began | Term ended |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee | |||
| Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wells KBE, CB, DSO | Army | 23 March 1958 | 22 March 1959 |
| Vice Admiral Sir Roy Dowling KBE, CB, DSO | Navy | 23 March 1959 | 27 May 1961 |
| Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Scherger KBE, CB, DSO, AFC | Air Force | 28 May 1961 | 18 May 1966 |
| General Sir John Wilton KBE, CB, DSO | Army | 19 May 1966 | 22 November 1970 |
| Admiral Sir Victor Smith AC, KBE, CB, DSC | Navy | 23 November 1970 | 23 November 1975 |
| General Francis Hassett AC, CB, CBE, DSO, LVO | Army | 24 November 1975 | 8 February 1976 |
| Chief of Defence Force Staff | |||
| General Sir Francis Hassett AC, KBE, CB, DSO, LVO | Army | 9 February 1976 | 20 April 1977 |
| General Sir Arthur MacDonald KBE, CB | Army | 21 April 1977 | 20 April 1979 |
| Admiral Sir Anthony Synnot KBE, AO | Navy | 21 April 1979 | 20 April 1982 |
| Air Chief Marshal Sir Neville McNamara KBE, AO, AFC, AE | Air Force | 21 April 1982 | 12 April 1984 |
| General Sir Phillip Bennett AC, KBE, DSO | Army | 13 April 1984 | 25 October 1984 |
| Chief of the Defence Force | |||
| General Sir Phillip Bennett AC, KBE, DSO | Army | 26 October 1984 | 12 April 1987 |
| General Peter Gration AC, OBE | Army | 13 April 1987 | 16 April 1993 |
| Admiral Alan Beaumont AC | Navy | 17 April 1993 | 6 July 1995 |
| General John Baker AC, DSM | Army | 7 July 1995 | 3 July 1998 |
| Admiral Chris Barrie AC | Navy | 4 July 1998 | 3 July 2002 |
| General Peter Cosgrove AC, MC | Army | 4 July 2002 | 3 July 2005 |
| Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston AC, AFC | Air Force | 4 July 2005 | Incumbent |
On 19 March 2008, it was announced that Air Chief Marshal Houston's appointment had been extended to 3 July 2011.[6]
Notes
- ^ Chief of the Defence Force: Roles & Responsibilities. Retrieved on 29 March 2008.
- ^ Chief of the Defence Force: The Diarchy. Retrieved on 29 March 2008.
- ^ Chief of the Defence Force: Previous Chiefs. Retrieved on 29 March 2008.
- ^ Rowell, Full Circle, p. 178
- ^ Horner, "Evolution of Australian Higher Command Arrangements".
- ^ Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston retained in defence shake-up. Retrieved on 29 March 2008.
References
- Australian Government. "Department of Defence". Commonwealth of Australia. http://www.defence.gov.au/index.htm.
- Horner, David (2002). "The Evolution of Australian Higher Command Arrangements". Command Papers (Centre for Defence Leadership Studies, Australian Defence College). http://www.defence.gov.au/adc/cdclms/Command%20evolution.doc.
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