STRUCTURE OF THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
_The Federal Ministry of Defence performs the specific functions of the technical department for military defence, centering its efforts on planning and politico-military matters, the supreme command, the supreme authority for Bundeswehr administration including the armaments organization with a focus on procurement for the armed forces. It consists of the executive group, the civilian directorates and the military staffs. The Federal Ministry of Defence is characterised by its dual responsibility. It performs the functions of a (civilian) ministry and at the same time acts as Bundeswehr command authority.
The executive group
The Executive Staff appropriately bundles information, purposefully involves all competent agencies as well as tightly coordinates the support services. The Ministry's Executive Group is supported by five staffs and the Special Investigations Branch.
The service staffs
The military organization of the Ministry of Defence is structured into five service staffs. These are: the Armed Forces Staff, the Army Staff, the Air Staff, the Naval Staff and the Medical Service Staff.
A characteristic feature of the military staffs is their dual role. On the one hand, they constitute a ministerial directorate and, on the other, a supreme command authority in administrative matters as regards their subordinate agency level.
The Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr is the highest-ranking service member of the Bundeswehr and the military adviser to the Federal Minister of Defence and the Federal Government. He is responsible to the Minister for the development and implementation of an overall military defence concept. In this context, he has executive authority over the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service and Joint Support Service.
The Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Air Force, Navy and the Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service as well as the Vice Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr, and Chief of Staff, Joint Support Service, have responsibility vis-à-vis the Minister for the operational readiness of their services or their organizational areas. In addition, they and their staffs participate in performing ministerial tasks. The Vice Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr, and Chief of Staff, Joint Support Service, who has no separate service staff, is assigned to the Armed Forces Staff.
The civilian directorates
The civilian sector of the Federal Ministry of Defence encompasses the Directorate General of Armaments (Rü) as well as the Personnel, Social Services and Central Affairs Directorate (PSZ), the Budget Directorate (H), the Legal Affairs Directorate (R) and the Defence Administration, Infrastructure and Environmental Protection Directorate (WV).
The Directorate General of Armaments is responsible for defence research and the planning of equipment and weapon systems (with the exception of information technology) including their introduction into the armed forces. A new armaments procurement system, advanced management methods, close co-operation with trade and industry and new financing structures support the objective of realizing armaments projects as quickly and economically as possible.
The Directorate controls the armaments sector of the Bundeswehr which is part of the Federal Defence Administration.
The Personnel, Social Services and Central Affairs Directorate is responsible for personnel management of military personnel and civilian employees of the Bundeswehr. In this context, it controls the personnel recruiting measures. Furthermore, the directorate takes care of the social needs of military and civilian Bundeswehr personnel. In has two civilian divisions and one military division.The Budget Directorate assesses the funds needed for national military defence to be appropriated in departmental budget 14 (defence) of the Federal budget. It advocates the demands vis-à-vis the Federal Minister of Finance and the Budget Committee of the Bundestag and executes the adopted budget. It makes sure that budget funds management is exercised with due regard to the principles of cost-effectiveness and economy.The Legal Affairs Directorate handles not only special legal affairs of the Ministry but also the general ones. In particular, this will be matters concerning international law, public/constitutional law, administrative and civil law, the legal status of military personnel and other military law. The Directorate is responsible for the administration of justice in the Bundeswehr as well as military chaplaincy affairs. The Director of Legal Affairs is the legal adviser to the Minister.The Defence Administration, Infrastructure and Environmental Protection Directorate has been assigned all the tasks concerned with the planning, management and control of the territorial defence administration in the Bundeswehr. It controls this part of the Federal defence administration with regard to the performance of tasks in the fields of infrastructure, recruitment and supplying the armed forces with food, clothing and personal equipment. Furthermore, it is responsible for environmental protection in the Bundeswehr.
The executive group
The Executive Staff appropriately bundles information, purposefully involves all competent agencies as well as tightly coordinates the support services. The Ministry's Executive Group is supported by five staffs and the Special Investigations Branch.
The service staffs
The military organization of the Ministry of Defence is structured into five service staffs. These are: the Armed Forces Staff, the Army Staff, the Air Staff, the Naval Staff and the Medical Service Staff.
A characteristic feature of the military staffs is their dual role. On the one hand, they constitute a ministerial directorate and, on the other, a supreme command authority in administrative matters as regards their subordinate agency level.
The Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr is the highest-ranking service member of the Bundeswehr and the military adviser to the Federal Minister of Defence and the Federal Government. He is responsible to the Minister for the development and implementation of an overall military defence concept. In this context, he has executive authority over the Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service and Joint Support Service.
The Chiefs of Staff of the Army, Air Force, Navy and the Bundeswehr Joint Medical Service as well as the Vice Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr, and Chief of Staff, Joint Support Service, have responsibility vis-à-vis the Minister for the operational readiness of their services or their organizational areas. In addition, they and their staffs participate in performing ministerial tasks. The Vice Chief of Staff, Bundeswehr, and Chief of Staff, Joint Support Service, who has no separate service staff, is assigned to the Armed Forces Staff.
The civilian directorates
The civilian sector of the Federal Ministry of Defence encompasses the Directorate General of Armaments (Rü) as well as the Personnel, Social Services and Central Affairs Directorate (PSZ), the Budget Directorate (H), the Legal Affairs Directorate (R) and the Defence Administration, Infrastructure and Environmental Protection Directorate (WV).
The Directorate General of Armaments is responsible for defence research and the planning of equipment and weapon systems (with the exception of information technology) including their introduction into the armed forces. A new armaments procurement system, advanced management methods, close co-operation with trade and industry and new financing structures support the objective of realizing armaments projects as quickly and economically as possible.
The Directorate controls the armaments sector of the Bundeswehr which is part of the Federal Defence Administration.
The Personnel, Social Services and Central Affairs Directorate is responsible for personnel management of military personnel and civilian employees of the Bundeswehr. In this context, it controls the personnel recruiting measures. Furthermore, the directorate takes care of the social needs of military and civilian Bundeswehr personnel. In has two civilian divisions and one military division.The Budget Directorate assesses the funds needed for national military defence to be appropriated in departmental budget 14 (defence) of the Federal budget. It advocates the demands vis-à-vis the Federal Minister of Finance and the Budget Committee of the Bundestag and executes the adopted budget. It makes sure that budget funds management is exercised with due regard to the principles of cost-effectiveness and economy.The Legal Affairs Directorate handles not only special legal affairs of the Ministry but also the general ones. In particular, this will be matters concerning international law, public/constitutional law, administrative and civil law, the legal status of military personnel and other military law. The Directorate is responsible for the administration of justice in the Bundeswehr as well as military chaplaincy affairs. The Director of Legal Affairs is the legal adviser to the Minister.The Defence Administration, Infrastructure and Environmental Protection Directorate has been assigned all the tasks concerned with the planning, management and control of the territorial defence administration in the Bundeswehr. It controls this part of the Federal defence administration with regard to the performance of tasks in the fields of infrastructure, recruitment and supplying the armed forces with food, clothing and personal equipment. Furthermore, it is responsible for environmental protection in the Bundeswehr.