The Chief of the Military Staff of the President of the Republic (French: Chef d'état-major particulier du président de la République) is a role in the military and government of France, heading the president's military staff until the present Fifth Republic.
Heads of the president's military household (1879–1940) The president's 'military household' (maison militaire) was formed by president Mac-Mahon but not institutionalised until 1880. This group of officers advised the president on army matters, especially (under the French Third Republic) matters of ceremony. Such an allocation was useful since it allowed its officers to nourish political contacts in Paris who could aid their army careers.
1879–1886: général de division François Pittié 1886–1892: général de brigade, then de division Henri Brugère 1892–1894: général de brigade, then de division Léon Borius 1894–1895: général de brigade Ulysse Berruyer 1895–1897: général de brigade Charles Tournier 1897–1898: général de brigade Alexis Hagron 1898–1900: général de brigade Maurice Bailloud 1900–1906: général de brigade, then de division Émile Dubois 1906–1907: colonel Charles Ebener 1908–1911: capitaine de vaisseau Alexandre Laugier 1911–1913: capitaine de vaisseau Marcel Grandclément 1913–1914: général de division Antoine Beaudemoulin 1919–1920: général de division Jean-Baptiste Pénelon 1920–1924: général de division Henri Lasson 1931–1940: général de corps d'armée Joseph Braconnier
President's chief of the military staff The 'chef d'état-major particulier' (CEMP) is the chief military adviser to the French president. The president serves as commander-in-chief of the French armed forces. As interface between the military and the president, the CEMP plays a vital role in putting into practice nuclear deterrence. The CEMP usually goes on to become chef d'état-major des armées.
général de division Henri Grout de Beaufort: January 1959 – 1960 général de corps d'armée Jean Olié: 1960 – 1961 général Louis Dodelier: 1961 – 1962 général de brigade aérienne Gabriel Gauthier: 1962 – 1964 vice-amiral Jean Philippon: 1964 – 1967 général de division André Lalande: 1967 – 1969 général Jean Deguil: 1969 – 1971 général d'armée Michel Thénoz: 1972 – 1974 général d'armée Guy Méry: June 1974 – July 1975 général d'armée Claude Vanbremeersch: July 1975 – 1979 général Bertrand de Montaüdouin: 1979 – 1981 général d'armée aérienne Jean-Michel Saulnier: 1981 – 1985 général Gilbert Forray: 1985 – July 1987 général Jean Fleury: 31 July 1987 – April 1989 amiral Jacques Lanxade: April 1989 – 23 April 1991 général de division Christian Quesnot: 24 April 1991 – 7 September 1995 vice-amiral Jean-Luc Delaunay: 8 September 1995 – 29 April 1999 général de division Henri Bentégeat: 30 April 1999 – 24 October 2002 général d'armée Jean-Louis Georgelin: 25 October 2002 – 3 October 2006 vice-amiral d'escadre Édouard Guillaud: 4 October 2006 – 24 February 2010 général de corps d'armée Benoît Puga: 5 March 2010 – 6 July 2016 amiral Bernard Rogel: 13 July 2016 – 1 August 2020 amiral Jean-Philippe Rolland: 1 August 2020 – 30 April 2023 général d'armée aérienne Fabien Mandon: 1 May 2023 – 31 August 2025 général d'armée Vincent Giraud: since 1 September 2025
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