On Monday 18 July 2022, the NATO Military Committee welcomed the new Director General of the NATO International Military Staff (DGIMS), Lieutenant General Janusz Adamczak.
During his welcome remarks, the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Bauer acknowledged General Adamczak's extensive military career, combining both command and operational postings. "Building on your extensive experience acquired as Polish Military Representative to NATO, I am confident that you are well prepared for this new position. As NATO enters a new era of collective defence, the tasks that lay ahead of you as Director General will be far from easy but I have no doubt that we will be able to rely on you to help this Committee sail a steady course", Admiral Bauer added.
Taking the floor, Lieutenant General Adamczak thanked the Committee for the warm welcome and pledged to "always help shape and contribute to the conversation of the 30, soon to be 32, Military Representatives, to resolve issues and broker consensus towards solutions that benefit the Alliance and the Committee as a whole. I look forward to helping you all navigate the paths through the significant work and undoubted challenges that lay ahead of us all".
Lieutenant General Adamczak took over the DGIMS position from the outgoing Director General, Lieutenant General Wiermann on 14 July 2022. He is a three star General in the Polish Army, elected by the NATO Chiefs of Defence in September 2021, and will serve for a three-year term.
The Director General of the International Military Staff (DGIMS) is responsible for the coordination between the decision-making bodies of the Alliance, the two Strategic Commanders, national military from NATO and Partner countries working in Brussels, and the civilian International Staff, that support the Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council, in order for the IMS to provide the best possible policy advice to the to the Military Committee.
The Director General heads the International Military Staff, the executive body of the NATO Military Committee. The IMS prepares assessments and studies on NATO military issues identifying areas of strategic and operational interest and most importantly, proposes courses of action. The IMS enables the National Military Representatives to deal with military issues rapidly and effectively ensuring that the Military Committee provides the North Atlantic Council consensus based advice on all military aspects of policy, operations, and transformation within the Alliance.
