Chief of General Staff (Georgia)

The Chief of General Staff of Georgian Defense Forces (საქართველოს თავდაცვის ძალების გენერალური შტაბის უფროსი) is a high-ranking officer in the military of Georgia, who heads the General Staff of the Defense Forces of Georgia and is an ex officio Deputy Chief of the Defense Forces. The Chief is appointed by the Minister of Defense and reports to the Minister and Chief of Defense Forces.

From its introduction in 1999 until the military reforms in 2018, the Chief of General Staff was appointed by the President of Georgia and served as the chief military adviser to the President and wartime commander of the Georgian military.

Overview
The Chief of General Staff exercises overall leadership of the General Staff and directs its day-to-day activities. The Chief is responsible for the proper execution of the tasks saddled on the General Staff, supervises planning of military operations, oversees coordination among the staffs of various units of the Defense Forces, and performs other functions as defined by the military law.

The Chief of General Staff is also a Deputy Chief of Defense Forces. They are appointed, with no term length, and released of the position by the Minister of Defense of Georgia.

History
The office of the Chief of General Staff was introduced in Georgia following its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The position had its precursor—the Commander–in-Chief of the Army—in the Democratic Republic of Georgia from 1918 to 1921. It has undergone several name changes since 1991. Prior to the 2018 reforms, the Chief was appointed by the President of Georgia on the advice of the Minister of Defense for a three-year term, with the possibility of extension for one year. The Chief was the highest-ranking military officer in the Georgian military, chief military adviser to the President, and wartime commander of the Armed Forces of Georgia.

Chief of General Staff of Georgian Armed Forces (1991–2008)
For period from 1921 to 1991, see Chief of the General Staff of the Soviet Union.