Major General Yousef Huneiti (

Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

: يوسف الحنيطي,

romanized In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...

:''Yūsuf al-Ḥunaiṭī;'' born 2 March 1959). is the current

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) is the presiding officer of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS). The chairman is the highest-ranking and most senior military officer in the United States Armed Forces Chairman: appointment; gra ...

of the

Jordanian Armed Forces The Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) (, romanized: ''Al-Quwwat Al-Musallaha Al-Urduniyya''), also referred to as the Arab Army (, ''Al-Jaysh Al-Arabi''), are the military forces of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. They consist of the ground forces, ...

(JAF). He was appointed to this position on 24 July 2019 by Royal Decree. Following the retirement of his predecessor, Lt. Gen. Mahmoud Freihat. Huneiti's appointment marked a historical milestone, as he is the first officer from the

Royal Jordanian Air Force The Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF; Arabic: سلاح الجو الملكي الأردني, ''Silāḥ al-Jaww al-Malakī al-ʾUrdunī'') is the aerial warfare branch of the Jordanian Armed Forces. Founded in 1955, the RJAF serves as the primary ...

to ever serve in this role, traditionally held by army commanders.

Early life and education

Born on 2 March 1959 in

Amman Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

, Yousef Huneiti joined the

in 1978, beginning his long-standing career in military service. Over the years, he advanced his education with various military courses and leadership programs, solidifying his expertise in military strategy, operations, and defense.

Military career

Huneiti's early career was largely based at

King Hussein Air Base King Hussein Air Base (; ), also known as Mafraq Air Base and King Hussein Air College, is an air base northeast of the city of Mafraq, in the Mafraq Governorate of Jordan. History In the 1920s, Mafraq was used as a location for armoured cars ...

in 1978, followed by roles at Prince Hassan Air Base in 1981 and H-4 Air Base in 1982. By 1983, he had become a fighter pilot, and in 1989, he was promoted to military trainer. His leadership capabilities were further demonstrated when he held several key positions: * 2003: Head of the Operations and Plans Division. * 2008–2010: Commander of the aviation division at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. * 2010–2012: Commander of King Hussein Air College. * 2013–2015: Director of air operations. In 2015, Huneiti was promoted to Assistant Commander of the

for Operations and Air Defense, a role that highlighted his growing influence within the armed forces. In 2016, he reached the apex of his Air Force career by being appointed as

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

of the Royal Jordanian Air Force, a position he held until 2019.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

On 24 July 2019, Huneiti was appointed Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military post in Jordan, by

King Abdullah II Abdullah II (Abdullah bin Hussein; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of the Hashemites, who have been the reigning royal family of Jordan since 1921, and is traditionally reg ...

. His appointment underscored the King’s emphasis on modernizing and restructuring the armed forces, ensuring that Jordan's military remains capable of addressing both regional threats and internal challenges. Huneiti's tenure has focused on strengthening the defense infrastructure, maintaining

national security National security, or national defence (national defense in American English), is the security and Defence (military), defence of a sovereign state, including its Citizenship, citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of ...

, and enhancing Jordan's role in regional stability. He has also been heavily involved in joint military exercises and strategic defense collaborations with

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

, 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 ...

, and neighboring Arab countries

International Cooperation and Leadership

As part of his role, Huneiti has maintained active diplomatic and military relations with several key global partners. He has frequently met with military leaders from the

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, and

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

to discuss military cooperation, training programs, and joint operations to bolster regional security. Under his leadership, the Jordanian Armed Forces have been modernizing equipment, improving training programs, and enhancing their operational capabilities, particularly in counterterrorism and border defense

Personal life

Huneiti is married and has five daughters and one son. He is known for his humility and dedication to service, often credited for his role in shaping Jordan's modern military strategies and maintaining the country's security amidst ongoing regional tensions

References

Living people Jordanian generals 1959 births People from Amman {{MEast-mil-bio-stub