Term length Not fixed | Formation 1904, 1964 | |
 | ||
Member of Defence Council
Army Board Reports to Chief of the Defence Staff Nominator Secretary of State for Defence Appointer Prime Minister
Subject to formal approval by the Queen-in-Council | ||
Chief of the General Staff (CGS) has been the title of the professional head of the British Army since 1964. The CGS is a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Army Board. Prior to 1964 the title was Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS). Since 1959, the post has been immediately subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the post held by the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
The current Chief of the General Staff is General Sir Nick Carter – having succeeded his predecessor, General Sir Peter Wall in September 2014.
Background
The title was also used for five years between the demise of the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in 1904 and the introduction of Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1909. The post was then held by General Sir Neville Lyttelton and, briefly, by Field Marshal Sir William Nicholson.
Throughout the existence of the post the Chief of the General Staff has been the First Military Member of the Army Board.