Chief of Staff of the French Army

Chief of the Army Staff
Chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre
Incumbent
Army General Pierre Schill
since 22 July 2021
Ministry of the Armed Forces
TypeChief of Staff
AbbreviationCEMAT
Member ofChiefs of Staff Committee
Reports toChief of the Defence Staff
SeatHexagone Balard, Paris
AppointerPresident of the Republic
Requires the Prime Minister's countersignature
Formation8 June 1871; 153 years ago (1871-06-08)
First holderFrançois Hartung
DeputyMajor General of the Army
Websitedefense.gouv.fr/terre

The Chief of the Army Staff (French: Chef d'état-major de l'armée de terre,[a] CEMAT)[2] is the military head of the French Army.[3] The chief directs the army staff and acts as the principal advisor to the Chief of the Defence Staff on subjects concerning the Army.[4] As such, they ensure the operational preparedness of their service branch, express their need for military and civilian personnel, and are responsible for maintaining the discipline, morale and conduct of their troops.[5] Special responsibilities can be assigned to them in relation to nuclear safety.[6]

The chief does not have a fixed term, nor an attached rank. In practice, however, a term has never exceeded five years and all chiefs since the late 1950s have been five–stars generals (OF–09). They are assisted in their duties by the Major General of the Army who will deputise if needed.

General Pierre Schill is the current chief and has been serving since 22 July 2021.

  1. ^ Government of the French Republic (10 August 1939). "Marks, honors, salutes and visits in the naval forces and on board naval vessels". gallica.bnf.fr (in French). Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  2. ^ French Army. "The Chief of the Army Staff" (in French). Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  3. ^ Defence Code – Article R3222–3 § 2
  4. ^ Defence Code – Article R*3121–25 § 1
  5. ^ Defence Code – Article R*3121–25 § 2
  6. ^ Defence Code – Article R*3121–25 § 3


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