Chief of the General Staff (Kuwait)

The General Staff H.Q. of the Kuwait Army (Arabic: رئاسة الأركان العامة للجيش الكويتي) redesignated in 1953 following formation in 1949, is a management department of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces, the national military of the State of Kuwait. The Chief of the General Staff (Arabic: رئيس هيئة الأركان العامة) is the senior combat military officer governing doctrines of the Kuwait Army, the Kuwait Air Force and the Kuwait Naval Force, but excludes the Kuwait National Guard, the Kuwait Police and Kuwait Fire Service Directorate. He is appointed by the Kuwait Defense Minister,[1] a deputy prime minister, who is appointed by the Prime Minister of Kuwait; the latter appointed by the Emir of Kuwait, the Commander-in-chief of the Military of Kuwait.

Chief of the General Staff رئيس هيئة الأركان العامة
The official seal of the General Staff H.Q.
Incumbent Mohammed Khaled Al-Khadher since 14 April 2014
Kuwaiti Armed Forces
Member of	General Staff H.Q.
Appointer	Minister of Defense
Deputy	Deputy Chief of the General Staff

Kuwait Army

On 1 July 1961, when the ministry was not of birth yet during Operation Vantage; the Kuwait Army was the de facto command leadership of the available armed forces since establishment and acted as official minister advising the Emir of Kuwait on course of action. The Kuwait Army redesignated in 1953 was founded thirteen years before the enacting of the respective Kuwait ministry, mainly by Field Marshal Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah in 1949.

Name	Rank	Tenure	Note
Sheikh Abdullah Mubarak Al-Sabah	Field Marshal	1949–1961	General Commander of Kuwait Army and the Directorate of Public Security Force (1942–1961) until the two split in 1953. Founder and patron of Kuwait Army and Kuwait Air Force.

List of Chiefs of the General Staff (1963–present)

No.		Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Al-Sabah, Mubarak AbdullahLieutenant General Sheikh Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (1934–1987) [lower-alpha 1]	March 1963	1980	16–17 years
2		Al-Ghanim, Abdullah FarajLieutenant General Abdullah Faraj Al-Ghanim (1931–2017)	1980	1986	5–6 years
3		Al-Saneh, Mezyad Abdel RahmanLieutenant General Mezyad Abdel Rahman Al-Saneh	1987	1991	3–4 years
4		Al-Sabah, Jaber Al-AhmadLieutenant General Sheikh Jaber Khaled Jaber Al-Sabah (born 1944)	1992	1993	0–1 years
5		Al-Moumen, Ali MohammedLieutenant General Ali Mohammed Al-Moumen	1993	2 January 2003	9–10 years
6		Al-Moumen, Ali MohammedLieutenant General Fahed Ahmad Al-Amir	2 January 2003	2009	5–6 years
7		Al-Sabah, Ahmad Al KhalidLieutenant General Sheikh Ahmad Al-Khalid Al-Sabah	2009	4 March 2012	2–3 years
8		Al-Sabah, Khaled Al JarrahLieutenant General Sheikh Khaled Al-Jarrah Al-Sabah	4 March 2012	4 August 2013	1 year, 153 days
9		Al-Othman, Abdul Rahman MohammedLieutenant General Abdul Rahman Mohammed Al-Othman (?–2016)	4 August 2013	14 April 2014	253 days
10		Al-Khadher, Mohammed KhaledLieutenant General Mohammed Khaled Al-Khadher (born 1955)	14 April 2014	Incumbent	6 years, 114 days

List of Deputy Chiefs of the General Staff of Kuwait Armed Forces (1965–present)

Name	Rank	Tenure	Note
Sheikh Saleh Mohammed Al-Sabah	Lieutenant General	1965–1980	Assistant deputy commander of Kuwait Army and Kuwait Air Force (1954–1965). Most senior serving combat deputy and officer in the history of Kuwait Armed Forces. 1st Deputy Chief of the General Staff in rank of Brigadier General in 1965.

Chief of the General Staff of Kuwait Armed Forces

The joint offices of the assistants chief of general staff are tasked with delegating combat responsibility for logistics supply command, joint military operations, manpower and others.

The joint assistants chief of the general staff combat commanders are the chief combat commanders of the Kuwait Land Force, the Kuwait Air Force, and the Kuwait Naval Force.

Assistant Chief Commander of Kuwait Land Force

The assistant chief combat commander of the Kuwait Army commands at his disposition the senior land combat officers and warrant officer commanders of the following infantry, mechanized infantry, artillery, commando, and tank brigades:

• Kuwait 6th Liberation Mechanized Brigade
• Kuwait 15th Mubarak Armored Brigade
• Kuwait 26th Al-Soor Mechanized Brigade
• Kuwait 35th Shahid Armored Brigade
• Kuwait 94th Saleh Al-Mohammed Mechanized Brigade

Assistant Chief Commander of Kuwait Air Force

The assistant chief combat commander of the Kuwait Air Force commands at his disposition the senior air combat officers and warrant officer commanders of the following air bases and their combat operational assets:

• Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base
• Ali Al Salem Air Base
• Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base
• Air Defense Brigades

Assistant Chief Commander of Kuwait Naval Force

The assistant chief combat commander of the Kuwait Naval Force commands at his disposition the senior naval combat officers, warrant officer, and commando warfighting naval commanders:

• Kuwait Marine Corps
• Kuwait Naval Warships

Notable Officers of Kuwait Armed Forces

• Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
• Mohammed Khaled Al-Khadher
• Mubarak Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah
• Sheikh Saleh Mohammed Al-Sabah

Notes

1. Deputy commander of Kuwait Army and Kuwait Air Force (1953–1963) partnering Directorate of Public Security Force until 1953.
   Founder and patron of Kuwait 25th Commando Brigade in 1960.
   1st Chief of the General Staff in rank of Major General in 1963.

References

1. www.mod.gov.kw Archived 11 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine (Official Website)