General Frangoulis Frangos (Greek: Φραγκούλης Φράγκος, born Komotini 1951) is a retired Greek Army officer, former chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff and former Minister for National Defence.

Frangoulis Frangos
Φραγκούλης Φράγκος
Minister for National Defence
In office
17 May 2012 – 21 June 2012
Preceded byDimitris Avramopoulos
Succeeded byPanos Panagiotopoulos
Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
In office
6 August 2009 – 1 November 2011
Preceded byLt. Gen. Dimitrios Voulgaris
Succeeded byLt. Gen. Konstantinos Ziazias
Personal details
Born1951
Komotini, Greece
OccupationHellenic Army officer
Military service
AllegianceGreece Greece
Branch/service Hellenic Army
Years of service1970–2011
Rank General
CommandsChief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
Commander of the First Army

He was born in Komotini and entered the Hellenic Military Academy in 1970, graduating in 1974 first of his class and being named a Second Lieutenant of Infantry. He is a graduate of the Supreme War School and of the NATO Defence College.[1] He also pursued studies in law at the University of Athens, continuing with post-graduate courses in European and International Law at the Panteion University. Frangos also received a doctorate in Geopolitics from the Ionian University.[1] He served in Special Forces units early in his career, qualifying as a paratrooper, as well as in staff and command positions of larger formations, as well as Greece's army attaché and defence attaché in the Greek embassy in Ankara, Turkey. Frangos commanded the 32nd Marines Brigade in 2002–2003, before being assigned to head the Hellenic National Defence General Staff's Planning Directorate. In 2004 he was promoted to major general and assumed command of the Inter-service Military Intelligence Directorate. In 2006 he assumed command of the 16th Mechanized Infantry Division. A year later he was promoted to Lt. General and assumed command of the II Army Corps, and in 2008 he was placed as commander of the First Army in Larissa.[1] On 6 August 2009, by decision of the Government Council for Foreign Affairs and Defence, he was appointed Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff,[1] a position he held until a surprise major reshuffle in the Greek military leadership on 1 November 2011.[2] Frangos retired with the rank of full General.

On 17 May 2012 he was named as Minister for National Defence in the caretaker cabinet of Panagiotis Pikrammenos, which led the country until the June general election.[3]

General Frangos is married and has two children. He also speaks English, Russian and Turkish.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Νέα ηγεσία στις Ένοπλες Δυνάμεις αποφάσισε το ΚΥΣΕΑ" (in Greek). Eleftherotypia. 6 August 2009. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  2. ^ "Ξήλωσε την ηγεσία των Ενόπλων Δυνάμεων" (in Greek). Eleftherotypia. 1 November 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Δέκα ώρες για μία υπηρεσιακή κυβέρνηση" (in Greek). Proto Thema. 17 May 2012. Archived from the original on 19 May 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for National Defence of Greece
17 May – 21 June 2012
Succeeded by
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff
6 August 2009 – 1 November 2011
Succeeded by