General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Dimitrios Grapsas () is a

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

military officer, who served as the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff from August 2007 to August 2009.

Biography

General Grapsas was born in 1948 in

Ypati Ypati () is a village and a former municipality in Phthiotis, central peninsular Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality of Lamia, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit has an area of 257.504 ...

in the

Phthiotis Phthiotis (, ''Fthiótida'' ; ancient Greek and Katharevousa: Φθιῶτις) is one of the regional units of Greece. It is part of the administrative region of Central Greece (administrative region), Central Greece. The capital is the city of La ...

prefecture. He was admitted to the

Hellenic Military Academy The Hellenic Army Academy (, ΣΣΕ), commonly known as the Evelpidon, is a military academy. It is the Officer cadet school of the Greek Army and the oldest third-level educational institution in Greece. It was founded in 1828 in Nafplio by Io ...

in 1967, from which he graduated in 1971 as a Second Lieutenant (Armour). In the following years he was promoted to the rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

(1971),

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

(1978),

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

(1983), lieutenant colonel (1989), and

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

(1995). During that time he served successively in the following units and formations: *Commander of the D' Armored Reconnaissance Battalion (Δ' Επιλαρχία Αναγνωρίσεως – Δ' ΕΑΝ) *Chief of Staff of the 96 Military Command (96 Στρατιωτική Διοίκηση – 96 ΣΔΙ) *First Assistant Chief of Staff of the Higher Military Command of the Interior and the Islands (Ανωτάτη Στρατιωτική Διοίκηση Εσωτερικού και Νήσων – ΑΣΔΕΝ) He attained the rank of brigadier general in 1999 and received command of the XXV Armored Brigade (XXV Τεθωρακισμένη Ταξιαρχία). Following that, he served as Chief of Staff in D' Army Corps (Δ' Σώμα Στρατού), and as a Director of the Training Division of the HAGS (ΔΕΚΠ/ΓΕΣ). In 2002, he was appointed as the director of the Training and Doctrine Staff Directorate of the HAGS. In 2003, having been promoted to major general, he received command of the 12th Mechanized Infantry Division (12η Μ/Κ ΜΠ). In 2004, he was promoted to

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...

and was assigned as B' Deputy Chief of the HAGS (Β' Υπαρχηγός ΓΕΣ). In 2005, he became commander of the Higher Military Command of the Interior and the Islands (ΑΣΔΕΝ) and held the post until his appointment to

chief of staff The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supportin ...

of the Hellenic Army General Staff (Α/ΓΕΣ) on 28 February 2006. In August 2007 he was assigned Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff (Γενικό Επιτελείο Εθνικής Άμυνας- ΓΕΕΘΑ) after the resignation of

Panagiotis Chinofotis Admiral Panagiotis Chinofotis (, also transliterated ''Panayiotis Khinofotis'', born 12 August 1949) is a retired Hellenic Navy officer, who served as the Chief of the Hellenic National Defense General Staff from 2005 to 2007. He was also a mem ...

and promoted to

general A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

. He held this post until 6 August 2009, when he was replaced by

Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...

Ioannis Giagkos Air Chief Marshal Ioannis Giangos (; born 1951) is a retired Greek Air Force officer and a former Chief of the National Defense General Staff of Greece. He served as an interim Minister for National Defence in the Caretaker Cabinet of Vassiliki ...

Medals and decorations

General Grapsas has been decorated with the following distinctions: the Grand Cross of the Order of The Phoenix (Μεγαλόσταυρος του Τάγματος του Φοίνικα), the Grand Commander of the Order of Honour (Ανώτερος Ταξιάρχης του Τάγματος της Τιμής), Medal of Military Merit 1st Class (Mετάλλιο Στρατιωτικής Αξίας Α΄ Τάξεως), Chief of General Staff Commendation Medal (Διαμνημόνευση Αρχηγίας Γ.Ε.ΕΘ.Α), Chief of the Army Commendation Medal (Διαμνημόνευση Αρχηγίας Γ.Ε.Σ), Commendation Star of Merit and Honour (Αστέρας Αξίας και Τιμής), Commendation Medal of Merit and Honour (Διαμνημόνευση Αξίας και Τιμής), Major Unit Command Commendation Medal 1st Class (Διαμηνμόνευση Ηγεσίας Σχηματιμού-Μεγάλης Μονάδος Α΄ Τάξεως, Army Meritorious Command Medal 1st Class (Διαμνημόνευση Ευδοκίμου Διοικήσεως Α΄ Τάξεως), Staff Officer Service Commendation Medal 1st Class (Διαμνημόνευση Υπηρεσιών Αξιωματικού Επιτελούς Α΄ Τάξεως). Additionally he was awarded the United States Of America Medal of the Commander of the

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

References

External links

Biography
at NATO official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Grapsas, Dimitrios 1948 births Living people People from Ypati Hellenic Army generals Grand Crosses of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) Commanders of the Legion of Merit Chiefs of the Hellenic Army General Staff Chiefs of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff 20th-century Greek military personnel 21st-century Greek military personnel