| Chief of Defence Staff | |
|---|---|
 | |
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| Appointer | Prime Minister |
| Formation | 31 July 1962 |
| First holder | Paul Edwin Crook [de] |
| Website | Official website |
TheChief of Defence Staff is the professional head of theJamaica Defence Force. They are responsible for the administration and the operational control of the Jamaican military. It is the highest ranked military position in the country.
| No. | Picture | Chief of Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ![Paul Edwin Crook [de]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aNo_image.png) | Crook, PaulBrigadier Paul Edwin Crook [de] (1915–2004) | 31 July 1962 | 1965 | 2–3 years | [1][2] |
| 2 | | Smith, DavidBrigadier David Hartman Smith | 1965 | 1973 | 7–8 years | [3][2] |
| 3 | | Robinson, DunstanBrigadier Dunstan Fitzgerald Robinson (born 1944) | 1973 | 1973 | 0 years | [2] |
| 4 | | Green, RudolphMajor General Rudolph Edward George Green | 1973 | 1979 | 5–6 years | [2] |
| 5 | | Neish, RobertMajor General Robert James Neish | 1979 | 1990 | 10–11 years | [2] |
| 6 | | Brady, PeterRear Admiral Peter Lorenzo Brady | 1990 | 1998 | 7–8 years | [2] |
| 7 | | Simmonds, JohnMajor General John I Simmonds | 1998 | 2002 | 3–4 years | [2] |
| 8 | | Lewin, HardleyRear Admiral Hardley M Lewin | 2002 | 2007 | 4–5 years | [2] |
| 9 | | Saunders, StewartMajor General Stewart Emerson Saunders | 2007 | 2007 | 0 years | [2] |
In December 2007 the title of Chief of Staff was replaced by Chief of Defence Staff and filled by an incumbent.
| No. | Picture | Chief of Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Saunders, StewartMajor General Stewart Emerson Saunders | 2008 | 9 October 2010 | 1–2 years | [2] |
| 2 | | Anderson, AntonyMajor General Antony Bertram Anderson | 9 October 2010 | 1 December 2016 | 6 years | [2] |
| 3 | .jpg) | Meade, RockyLieutenant General Rocky Ricardo Meade (born 1963) | 1 December 2016 | 21 January 2022 | 8 years | [2][4][5] |
| 4 | | Wemyss Gorman, AntonetteRear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman (born 1972 or 1973) | 21 January 2022 | Incumbent | 3 years | [6] |
Major General Rocky Meade is Jamaica's 3rd Chief of Defence Staff and 11th Head of the JDF. He assumed the role on December 1, 2016.
