Chief of Defence Staff (Guyana)

The Chief of Defence Staff is the professional head of the Guyana Defence Force. He is responsible for the administration and the operational control of the military of Guyana. The current Chief of Defence Staff is Brigadier Omar Khan.

Chief of Defence Staff
Flag of the Guyana Defence Force
Incumbent Brigadier Omar Khan since 28 April 2023
Reports to	President of Guyana
Formation	May 1967
First holder	Ronald Pope

The office was officially known as the 'Chief of Staff' until 2024 when the Defence (Amendment) Act 2024 was passed giving effect to the new name of the office.

List of officeholders

Chief of Staff (1967–2024)

•   Acting

No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Colonel Ronald Pope	May 1967	March 1969	1 year, 10 months	[1]
2		Brigadier Clarence Price (1922–?)	March 1969	12 July 1979	10 years, 4 months	[2]
3		Major general Norman Gordon Mc Lean (born 1935)	12 July 1979	March 1990	10 years, 7 months	[3]
4		Major general Joseph Singh (born 1945)	March 1990	April 2000	10 years, 1 month	[4]
5		Major general Michael Atherly (born 1949)	April 2000	31 May 2004	4 years, 1 month	[5][6]
6		Major general Edward Orin Collins (born 1945)	31 May 2004	2007	2–3 years	[7]
7		Rear admiral Gary Best (born 1959)	September 2007	16 September 2013	6 years	[8]
8		Brigadier Mark Phillips (born 1961)	16 September 2013	3 October 2016	3 years, 17 days	[9]
9		Brigadier George Lewis (born 1961)	3 October 2016	10 January 2017	99 days	[10][11]
10		Brigadier Patrick West (born 1965)	10 January 2017	1 July 2020	3 years, 173 days	[12][13]
–		Brigadier Godfrey Bess (born 1968)	1 July 2020	4 March 2021	246 days	[14][15]
11			4 March 2021	28 April 2023	2 years, 55 days
12		Brigadier Omar Khan	28 April 2023	24 May 2024	1 year, 26 days	[16]

Chief of Defence Staff (2024–present)

•   Acting

No.	Portrait	Name (birth–death)	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Brigadier Omar Khan	24 May 2024	Incumbent	166 days	[17]

See also

• Guyana Defence Force

References

1. "Colonel Ronald Pope". gdf.mil.gy. Guyana Defence Force. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
2. "Brigadier Clarence Price". gdf.mil.gy. Guyana Defence Force. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
3. "Major General Norman Gordon Mc Lean". gdf.mil.gy. Guyana Defence Force. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
4. "Major General Joseph Singh, MSS". gdf.mil.gy. Guyana Defence Force. Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
5. "Major General Michael Atherly, MSS". gdf.mil.gy. Guyana Defence Force. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
6. "Former Chief-of-Staff honoured at special dinner". Kaieteur News. 28 November 2008. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
7. Naipaul, Chamanlall (1 June 2004). "Former Chief of Staff calls for new national security strategy". landofsixpeoples.com. Guyana Chronicle. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
8. Staff Writer (23 June 2014). "Promoted to Rear Admiral – Gary Best departing a military that is set for transformation". dpi.gov.gy. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
9. "Brigadier Mark Phillips". gdf.mil.gy. Guyana Defence Force. Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
10. "George Lewis promoted to rank of Brigadier, sworn in as GDF Chief of Staff". op.gov.gy. Office of the President. 3 October 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
11. "I'm ready to lead". Guyana Chronicle. 2 October 2016. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
12. "Brigadier Patrick West is new army Chief of Staff". stabroeknews.com. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
13. "Brigadier Patrick West is new army Chief of Staff". Stabroek News. 11 January 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
14. Staff Writer (30 June 2020). "Colonel Bess appointed Chief of Staff (ag)". dpi.gov.gy. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
15. Staff Reporter (5 March 2021). "Bess takes charge of GDF". guyanachronicle.com. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
16. "Colonel Khan promoted to Brigadier, appointed new Army Chief of Staff - Guyana Chronicle".
17. https://officialgazette.gov.gy/images/gazette2024/may/Extra_24MAY2024Act8of2024.pdf ^{[bare URL PDF]}