Ian Gleeson

Lieutenant General Ian Gleeson SSAS SD SM (born 1934) is a retired South African Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff.

He graduated from the Military Academy after attending Christian Brothers College in Pretoria and joined the Army in 1954. He became Officer Commanding 2 South African Infantry Battalion in 1971 and in 1972 OC Walvis Bay military base, and in July 1976 became GOC 101 Task Force. He then became Chief of Army Staff Operations on 15 January 1978 before taking on the recreated post of Chief of Defence Force Staff.

He retired in February 1990.