| General Staff in the Federal Ministry of Defence Führungsstab des Heeres im Bundesministerium der Verteidigung | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | November 1957 |
| Country |
 Germany |
| Allegiance | Bundeswehr |
| Branch |
 German Army |
| Type |
Dept. of Federal Ministry of Defence & highest command level in German Army |
| Size | 180 |
| Garrison/HQ | Hardthöhe, Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Werner Freers, Inspector of the Army |
The General Staff of the German Army (German language: Führungsstab des Heeres) is a department of the Federal Ministry of Defence and one of the five staff headquarters in the military command of the Bundeswehr. The General Staff is thus at the same time a ministerial division and the highest level of military command within the German Army.
Command
The General Staff is commanded by the Inspector of the Army (Inspekteur des Heeres). The Inspector holds the rank of lieutenant general (Generalleutnant), commands the General Staff and in that role reports to the Federal Minister of Defence. The deputy to the Inspector also holds 3 star rank. The General Inspector of the Bundeswehr and the Defence Staff who work for him are only authorised to issue directives to the General Staff in the fields of development and the realisation of the overall concept for the Bundeswehr. The General Staff comprises about 180 soldiers and civil servants.
Mission
The General Staff is the highest level of command in the German Army. The staff ensures the readiness of the Army from a materiel and personnel perspective. In addition the two command pillars of the Army, the Army Command and the Army Office are subordinate to the General Staff. Furthermore the staff support the Inspector of the Army and the Federal Minister of Defence in their ministerial duties.
External links
Coordinates: 50°41′57″N 7°02′26″E / 50.699203°N 7.040541°E
The original article can be found at General Staff (Germany) and the edit history here.