Petr Pavel

General Petr Pavel (born 1 November 1961) is a Czech army officer who has been Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Army since 1 July 2012. In September 2014, Pavel was appointed Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, with his term to begin in June 2015.

Military career
Pavel graduated at the Military gymnasium (high school) in Opava. He continued his military study at the Military university of the Army in Vyškov and he graduated in 1983. He started as Paratrooper in the Czechoslovak Army. He was a platoon leader.

He continued his military studies at the Military Academy (currently united with University of Defence) in Brno (1988 - 1991). After his graduation he worked in the military intelligence service (1991 - 1993). He served in the Czechoslovak troops of United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia. His unit was sent to evacuate a French military base in January 1993. The French military base Karin was attacked from the Croatian side. The French army was unable to evacuate this base due to the local infrastructure and bridge having been destroyed. The Czechoslovak army was entrusted to conduct the evacuation because of their proximity to the base. General Pavel was recognized and awarded both in the Czech Republic and France.

General Pavel served after the operation in Bosnia in different positions in the Czech Army - in military intelligence, in diplomacy (deputy of military attaché in Belgium), as commander of special forces' brigade. He was appointed Brigadier General in 2002. He served as the National Military Representative at US CENTCOM. He represented the Czech Army in different international and national organizations. He obtained an international education at universities in the United Kingdom - Staff College, Camberley; the Royal College of Defence Studies; and King's College London (MA, International Relations).

He served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Czech Republic from July 2011 to June 2012. Since 1 June 2012 he has served as Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces of the Czech Republic. He was nominated by the Czech government for the position of Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in July 2014. He was appointed for this function in Vilnius in September 2014. He will be the first Chairman to come from a country formerly part of the Warsaw Pact. His mandate will start in summer 2015.

Personal
Petr Pavel speaks Czech, English, French and Russian. He is married and has two sons with his wife.