Chief of Federal Armed Forces Staff

The Chief of Federal Armed Forces Staff or General Inspector of the Bundeswehr (Generalinspekteur der Bundeswehr (GenInspBw)) is the highest-ranking military post in the Bundeswehr, the German armed forces. Normally in the rank of a (four-star) general or admiral, he heads the Führungsstab der Streitkräfte, the German General Staff, and is the direct military advisor to the Federal Minister of Defence and his ministry.

It should be noted that, while official translations of the position include "Chief of Staff" and variations of this term, the German term "Generalinspekteur" – "General Inspector" – was specifically created to avoid the term of "Generalstabschef" ("Chief of General Staff") deemed historically compromised. When the Bundeswehr was created in 1955, traditional military terms were considered inappropriate after the German Wehrmacht's involvement and conduct in World War II. Therefore, Federal German Bundeswehr has no "General Staff", but a "Executive Staff" ("Führungsstab des Heeres"), and there is no German "Commander-in-chief", but a "Holder of Authority and Command" ("Inhaber der Befehls- und Kommandogewalt", i.e. the Federal Minister of Defence).

Following the resignation of General Wolfgang Schneiderhan in November 2009, the Vice Chief of Defence of the Bundeswehr, General Johann-Georg Dora supported some of the roles of the General Inspector, until General Volker Wieker succeeded as Chief of Staff on January 21, 2010.