The Lebanese Army – Commander of the Army and Chief of Staff – Job Definitions and Authority

The commander of the Lebanese army is appointed from a group of senior commanders in the general staff of the Lebanese army who hold the rank of “liwa” (major-general). The appointment is subject to the decision of the Lebanese government. The elected officer is promoted to the rank of “Imad” (Lieutenant general) and is appointed commander of the Lebanese army.

The commander of the army reports directly to the Minister of Defense. According to the Ta’af Agreement, he must belong to the Maronite Christian denomination. Joseph Aoun currently serves as commander of the Lebanese army.

Subordinate to the commander of the army is the chief of staff of the Lebanese army. He, too, is appointed from among the officers in the General Staff of the Army by the Minister of Defense and after consultation with the commander of the army. The Chief of Staff shall act on behalf of the Commander of the Army in the event of his absence and shall exercise his duties and powers throughout the period of his absence. As part of the Ta’af Agreement, the chief of staff of the Lebanese army is a member of the Druze ethnicity.

The Army Commander’s duties:

The commander of the army will prepare the army for the tasks assigned to him, raise the army’s level of combat readiness and lead military operations. In addition, the army commander is also responsible for the following issues:

1. Implementation of decisions regarding recruitment and volunteering policies.
2. Organization of army units, determination of tasks and responsibility for their management.
3. Carrying out operations, preparedness drills, mobilizing of the force, and mobilizing reserve forces.
4. Drawing up combat plans and orders and developing logistical plans for them.
5. Responding to the needs of the army and maintaining the level of equipment after receiving them from the General Staff.
6. Command of security operations while the army is in charge of maintaining security.
7. The Intelligence Directorate is subordinate to the Commander of the Army, except for matters relating to base security and information security, which are subordinate to the Chief of Staff.

The tasks of the Chief of Staff of the Lebanese Army:

The Chief of Staff will assist the Army Commander in taking part in the responsibilities and carrying out the following assignments reflected in controlling the operation of the headquarters and the coordination tasks:

• Ensuring the implementation of decisions.
• Supervision of the readiness of the army, equipment and people.
• Recommending ways and means to help develop cooperation between units and improve the level of services to the combat units.
• Supervision of training and management of reserve forces.

Chief of Staff-elect:

The Lebanese Army Command announced that “on February 8, 2024, it has been decided to appoint “Amid” (Brigadier General) Hassan Odeh as Chief of Staff of the Army and promote him to the rank of “Liwa” (major-general).”

Hassan Odeh was born in the village of Bater in the Al-Shuf district on February 11, 1968. He is married to Hala Halima and has three children: Jawad, Jalal and Sama.

Odeh joined the army in 1990. In 1994 he graduated from the Military Academy with the rank of lieutenant, he holds an academic degree in military science and a master’s degree in political science – diplomacy and international security, and is fluent in French, English and Italian.

He has taken several courses in Lebanon and abroad, including a course in France and a course on staff work in Italy.

Previous positions:

Company commander in an infantry brigade and an intervention battalion, commander of the 73rd battalion, commander of the third intervention battalion and commander of the eleventh infantry brigade.