Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)

Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence. The appointment shares control of the Australian Defence Organisation in a coequal arrangement (a "diarchy") with the Secretary of the Department of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.

The position is a fixed-term appointment of four years. Prior to June 2014, this was three year appointment. The position is notionally rotated between the three services, (Navy, Army and Air Force), but in practice this has not been the case; of eighteen appointees, nine have been from the Army, five from the Navy and four from the Air Force.

During peacetime, the CDF is the only four-star officer in the ADF (admiral, general, or air chief marshal). CDF is assisted by the Vice Chief of the Defence Force (VCDF) and the service chiefs: Chief of Navy (CN), Chief of Army (CA), and Chief of Air Force (CAF), all of whom are three-star officers (vice admiral, lieutenant general, and air marshal).

The CDF is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of his/her ministers. The appointment is politically neutral, as are all military positions, and not affected by a change of government.

History

Prior to 1958 there was no CDF or equivalent; a Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) existed but no separate position was established as its senior officer. Instead, the senior service chief served as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. In March 1958, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Wells was appointed Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, a role independent of and notionally senior to the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs. However Wells and his successors did not command the Australian armed forces in any legal sense; the Chairman had only an advisory role in the running of the separate services. In February 1976, COSC was dissolved and the new position of Chief of Defence Force Staff (CDFS) was created with command authority over the ADF. In October 1984 the position was renamed Chief of the Defence Force to more clearly reflect the role and its authority.

Appointments

Living current and former Chiefs of the Defence Force

Timeline

Images

Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee

Chief of Defence Force Staff

Chief of the Defence Force

Notes

References

• Australian Government. "Department of Defence". Commonwealth of Australia. 
• Horner, David (2002). "The Evolution of Australian Higher Command Arrangements". Command Papers (Centre for Defence Leadership Studies, Australian Defence College).