Inspector of the Air Force

Summary

The Inspector of the Air Force (German: Inspekteur der Luftwaffe) is the commander of the Air Force of the modern-day German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr. The Inspector is responsible for the readiness of personnel and materiel in the German Air Force, in that function reports directly to the Federal Minister of Defence.[1] The current Inspector is Ingo Gerhartz, appointed on 29 May 2018.

Inspector of the German Air Force
Inspekteur der Luftwaffe
Standard of the Inspector of the Air Force
Incumbent
Generalleutnant Ingo Gerhartz
since 29 May 2018
Federal Minister of Defence
AbbreviationInspL
Reports toGeneral Inspector of the Bundeswehr
PrecursorOberkommando der Luftwaffe
Formation1 June 1957
First holderJosef Kammhuber

The Inspector of the Air Force is the chief of the Air Force Command, based in Gatow, Berlin. They sit under the General Inspector of the Bundeswehr and are a member of the Defence Council for Bundeswehr-wide matters. Both the Inspector and their deputy hold the rank of lieutenant general (German: Generalleutnant) while in office, although the first Inspector, Josef Kammhuber, was an exception, holding the rank of full general as a reward for his efforts to build up a new German Luftwaffe.

List of Inspectors of the Air Force edit

No. Portrait Inspector of the Air Force Took office Left office Time in office
1
 
Kammhuber, JosefGeneral
Josef Kammhuber
(1896–1986)
1 June 195730 September 19625 years, 121 days
2
 
Panitzki, WernerLieutenant General
Werner Panitzki
(1911–2000)
1 October 196225 August 19663 years, 328 days
3
 
Steinhoff, JohannesLieutenant General
Johannes Steinhoff
(1913–1994)
2 September 196631 December 19704 years, 120 days
4
 
Rall, GüntherLieutenant General
Günther Rall
(1918–2009)
1 January 197131 March 19743 years, 89 days
5
 
Limberg, GerhardLieutenant General
Gerhard Limberg
(1920–2006)
1 April 197430 September 19784 years, 182 days
6
 
Obleser, FriedrichLieutenant General
Friedrich Obleser
(1923–2004)
1 October 197830 March 19834 years, 180 days
7
 
Eimler, EberhardLieutenant General
Eberhard Eimler
(born 1930)
1 April 198330 September 19874 years, 182 days
8
 
Jungkurth, HorstLieutenant General
Horst Jungkurth [de]
(born 1933)
1 October 198731 March 19913 years, 181 days
9
 
Kuebart, JörgLieutenant General
Jörg Kuebart
(1934–2018)
1 April 199130 September 19943 years, 182 days
10
 
Mende, BernhardLieutenant General
Bernhard Mende [de]
(1937–2004)
1 October 199430 September 19972 years, 364 days
11
 
Portz, RolfLieutenant General
Rolf Portz [de]
(born 1940)
1 October 199731 March 20013 years, 181 days
12
 
Back, GerhardLieutenant General
Gerhard W. Back [de]
(born 1944)
1 April 200111 January 20042 years, 285 days
13
 
Stieglitz, Klaus-PeterLieutenant General
Klaus-Peter Stieglitz [de]
(born 1947)
12 January 200429 October 20095 years, 290 days
14
 
Kreuzinger-Janik, AarneLieutenant General
Aarne Kreuzinger-Janik
(born 1950)
29 October 200925 April 20122 years, 179 days
15
 
Müllner, KarlLieutenant General
Karl Müllner
(born 1956)
25 April 201229 May 20186 years, 34 days
16
 
Gerhartz, IngoLieutenant General
Ingo Gerhartz
(born 1965)
29 May 2018Incumbent5 years, 299 days

References edit

  1. ^ "Inspekteure der Luftwaffe". Geschichte der Luftwaffe (in German language). 16 July 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2019.[permanent dead link]

External links edit

  • (in German) Inspekteure der Luftwaffe (Bundesarchiv)