HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Carsten Breuer (born 1 December 1964) is a
German Army The German Army (, 'army') is the land component of the armed forces of Federal Republic of Germany, Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German together with the German Navy, ''Marine'' (G ...
general serving as the 17th and current
Inspector General of the Bundeswehr The Inspector General of the (), is the highest-ranking military position held by a commissioned officer on active duty in the , the present-day armed forces of Germany. All Inspectors General have been of the rank of a ( four-star) general o ...
. Prior to his appointment to the post, Breuer served as the first commander of the Bundeswehr Homeland Defence Command and is also known for his role as commander of the COVID-19 Task Force. Breuer also served as commander of the Bundeswehr Territorial Command, the 37 Armoured Infantry Brigade and the 12 Armoured Air Defence Gun Battalion.


Early life and education

Breuer was born in Letmathe, a small suburb located at
North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...
on 1 December 1964. In 1984, upon graduating high school, Breuer entered the
Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...
under the 11th Air Defense Regiment (Flugabwehrregiment 11) in
Achim Achim (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Achem''), commonly Achim bei Bremen, is a municipality and the largest town (population 30,059 in December 2006) in the district of Verden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Weser, a ...
and later moved to the Army Air Defence Training Centre in
Rendsburg Rendsburg (, also ''Rensborg'', , also ''Rensborg'') is a town on the Eider (river), River Eider and the Kiel Canal in the central part of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. It is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) of Rendsburg-Eckernfoerde, Rends ...
to complete the officer candidate school from 1984 to 1985. After completing his course, Breuer was transferred to the Helmut Schmidt University to finish his education and graduated in 1988 with a degree in educational theory. Breuer later finished the General Staff Officer Course at the
Bundeswehr Command and Staff College The Bundeswehr Command and Staff College (, ''FüAkBw'') is the Staff college, General Staff College (''Senior Military Academy'') of the German armed forces, the Bundeswehr, established in 1957 as the successor of the Prussian Military Academy, ...
1995 to 1997 and the US Command and General Staff Officers’ Course at the
United States Army Command and General Staff College The United States Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC or, obsolete, USACGSC) at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a graduate school for United States Army and sister service officers, interagency representatives, and international military ...
in
Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth () is a United States Army installation located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas, Leavenworth. Built in 1827, it is the second oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C., an ...
,
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
from 2001 to 2002.


Military career

Breuer started his career in 1989 where he served as an Assistant to Division Commander for military intelligence operations under the 10 Air Defence Regiment and as an adjutant to the Division Commander under the 10th Armoured Division, both based in
Sigmaringen Sigmaringen ( Swabian: ''Semmerenga'') is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district. Sigmaringen is renowned for its castle, Schloss Sigmaringen, ...
from 1989 to 1992. From 1992 to 1995, Breuer was named as commander 4th Battery, 6 Armoured Air Defence Gun Demonstration Battalion in Lütjenburg, before serving as a branch instructor under the Army Air Defence, Armour School in
Munster Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
from 1995 to 1997. From 1997 to 1999, Breuer later served as a Staff Officer to the Vice Chief of Defence in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, before serving as the Chief of Staff for the 41 Armoured Infantry Brigade from 2002 to 2004 and later served as a contingent commander of German units as part of the Multinational Brigade South-West of the 8th KFOR Contingent in
Prizren Prizren ( sq-definite, Prizreni, ; sr-cyr, Призрен) is the second List of cities and towns in Kosovo, most populous city and Municipalities of Kosovo, municipality of Kosovo and seat of the eponymous municipality and District of Prizren, ...
,
Kosovo Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
. Breuer later became commander of the 12 Armoured Air Defence Gun Battalion from 2004 to 2006 and later served as an assistant to Chief of the Army at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Bonn from 2006 to 2008. In 2008 to 2010, Breuer later served as the Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Representative in Europe (SACTREPEUR) at the
NATO headquarters The NATO headquarters is the political and administrative center of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). After previous locations in London and Paris, it has been headquartered in Brussels since 1967, in a complex in Haren, part of ...
in
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
,
Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. Breuer was also posted as Branch Chief for Military-Strategic Fundamentals under the Armed Forces Staff from 2010 to 2011, before subsequently serving as the Branch Chief for Military Policy Concepts and Bilateral Relations and in Fundamentals of Security Policy and Bilateral Relations at the Federal Ministry of Defence in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
from 2012 to 2013. Breuer later served as commander of the 37th Panzergrenadier Brigade from 2013 to 2014 before being named as Chief of Division I, Directorate-General for Security and Defence Policy in 2014. Breuer also served as Project Manager for the creation of the 2016 White Paper on German Security Policy and the Future of the Bundeswehr. Breuer later served as Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations/Military Intelligence/Training Directorate in 2016 to 2017 before being named as the commander of the
Kommando Territoriale Aufgaben der Bundeswehr The Kommando Territoriale Aufgaben der Bundeswehr short (KdoTerrAufgBw) "Bundeswehr Territorial Tasks Command" of the Bundeswehr is based in the Julius Leber Barracks in Berlin-Wedding was founded in 2013 and is in charge of all territorial t ...
from 2018 to 2021. Breuer later served as commander of the government's COVID-19 Task Force tasked at combatting the spread of the COVID-19 virus, which serves as the primary part of the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2022, amidst the creation of the Bundeswehr Homeland Defence Command, Breuer was named as the command's first commander. During his stint, Breuer was tasked to highlight the importance of strengthening the country's operational readiness in times of war, amidst the risks posed by the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, , starting the largest and deadliest war in Europe since World War II, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, conflict between the two countries which began in 2014. The fighting has caused hundreds of thou ...
. Breuer was named as the new
Inspector General of the Bundeswehr The Inspector General of the (), is the highest-ranking military position held by a commissioned officer on active duty in the , the present-day armed forces of Germany. All Inspectors General have been of the rank of a ( four-star) general o ...
on 13 March 2023 and replaced General
Eberhard Zorn Eberhard Zorn (born February 19, 1960) is a retired German general who served as the 16th Inspector General of the Bundeswehr, Inspector General of the ''Bundeswehr'', the German Armed Forces. Background Born on February 19, 1960, in Saarbr� ...
, who was placed under early retirement. The move came due to reported disagreements on Zorn's assessment to the War in Ukraine by government officials including the Minister of Defense
Boris Pistorius Boris Ludwig Pistorius (; born 14 March 1960) is a German lawyer and politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) who has been serving as Federal Minister of Defence in the governments of successive Chancellors Olaf Scholz and Fri ...
, wherein Zorn commented Ukraine's inability to launch a counterattack in Russian positions in Ukraine. Zorn's comments came under from various officials, including former US officials and commanders. Breuer was also eventually promoted to the rank of General. On 08 February 2024, General Breuer, alongside Major General Christian Freuding and other key officials, visited
Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
in
Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
and met the
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine () is the professional head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The position was created by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 28 March 2020, before which the Chief of the General Staff was the c ...
General
Valerii Zaluzhnyi Valerii Fedorovych Zaluzhnyi (; born 8 July 1973) is a Ukrainian four-star general and diplomat who is currently serving as Ambassador of Ukraine to the United Kingdom. He served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from 2 ...
and talked about the importance of defence cooperation and exchanges of ideas between the two countries. On 18 April 2024, in the aftermath of the NATO meeting in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
regarding the situation in Ukraine, Breuer called for preparations for the next 5 to 8 years due to potential Russian attacks on NATO countries. The calls were made based on their analysis and stated that an attack "is possible" as Russia continues to build its military muscle amidst its invasion in Ukraine.


Dates of promotion


Awards from military service

* Officer,
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (, or , BVO) is the highest state decoration, federal decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It may be awarded for any field of endeavor. It was created by the first List of president ...
* Gold Cross of Honour * Silver Cross of Honour * Bronze Cross of Honour * Armed Forces Deployment Medal (
KFOR KFOR may refer to: * KFOR (AM), a radio station (1240 AM) licensed to Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, * KFOR-TV, a television station (channel 4 analog/27 digital) licensed to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, * KFOR-TV (Nebraska), a defun ...
) * Armed Forces Deployment Medal (
ISAF The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...
) * 2002 Flood Service Medal * 2013 Flood Service Medal * 2021 Flood Service Medal * Brandenburg Oderflut Flood Protection Medal (
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
) * Elbe Flood Medal (2002) * Flood-Medal 2013 of the State of Lower Saxony * Saxony Flood Assistance Medal (2013) * Saxony Forest Fire Service Medal (
2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...
) * Brandenburg Forest Fire Service Medal (2022) * Lübtheen Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Forest Fire Service Medal (2019) * Commemorative Medal of the
Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Afghanistan) * Chief of the General Staff (Albania) * C ...
of the
Slovak Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic were divided from the Czechoslovak Army after dissolution of Czechoslovakia on 1 January 1993. Slovakia joined NATO on 29 March 2004. From 2006 the army transformed into a fully professional organization ...
, 1st Degree *
NATO Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. Ba ...
Non-Article 5 medal for
ISAF The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386 according to the Bonn Agreement, which outlined t ...
*
NATO Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. Ba ...
for Kosovo *
NATO Meritorious Service Medal The NATO Medal is an international military decoration which is awarded to various militaries of the world under the authority of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It is manufactured by Eekelers-Centini Intl, of Hemiksem, Belgium. Ba ...
* US Army Command and General Staff College International Graduate Badge


Personal life

Breuer is married and has three children.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Breuer, Carsten Living people 1964 births German Army generals