# Deputy Chief of Army

The Deputy Chief of Army (DCA) is the second most senior appointment in the Australian Army, responsible to the Chief of Army (CA). The rank associated with the position is major general (2-star).
The current appointee is Major General Chris Smith, who took up the posting on 31 January 2024.

## Appointees

The following (incomplete) list chronologically records those who have held the post of Deputy Chief of Army or its preceding positions. Rank and honours are as at the completion of the individual's term.
| Rank | Name | Postnominals | Term began | Term ended | Notes |
| Deputy Chief of the General Staff ||||||
| Brigadier General | Thomas Blamey | CB, CMG, DSO | 1 April 1920 | 15 November 1923 | |
| Second Chief of the General Staff ||||||
| Brigadier General | Thomas Blamey | CB, CMG, DSO | 15 November 1923 | 31 August 1925 | |
| Colonel | William Foster | CB, CMG, DSO | 1 September 1925 | 31 December 1925 | (Acting) |
| Brigadier General | Charles Brand | CB, CMG, DSO | 1 January 1926 | 1 May 1930 | |
| Deputy Chief of the General Staff ||||||
| Major General | John Northcott | CB, MVO | 13 October 1939 | 31 August 1941 | |
| Major General | Sydney Rowell | CBE | 1 September 1941 | April 1942 | |
| Major General | George Alan Vasey | CBE, DSO & Bar | April 1942 | September 1942 | |
| Major General | Frank Berryman | CBE, DSO | September 1942 | January 1944 | |
| Major General | John Chapman | DSO & Bar | October 1944 | 11 March 1946 | |
| Major General | Edward Milford | CBE, DSO | 11 March 1946 | May 1946 | |
| Major General | Henry Wells | CBE, DSO | 16 July 1946 | 1947 | |
| Major General | Ronald Hopkins | CBE | 1 May 1950 | 19 February 1951 | |
| Major General | Eric Woodward | CBE, DSO | 20 February 1951 | 1 September 1951 | |
| Major General | Edward Sheehan | CBE | 1 September 1951 | 22 December 1952 | |
| Major General | Ragnar Garrett | CBE | 9 February 1953 | 15 December 1953 | |
| Major General | Lindley Barham | CBE | December 1953 | 29 October 1954 | |
| Major General | Hector Edgar | CBE | 30 October 1954 | 22 March 1958 | |
| Major General | Ian Murdoch | CBE | 23 March 1958 | 11 December 1960 | |
| Major General | Thomas Taylor | CBE, LVO, MC | 12 December 1960 | 24 January 1964 | |
| Major General | Frank Hassett | CBE, DSO, LVO | 25 January 1964 | 27 January 1966 | |
| Major General | Charles Long | CBE | 28 January 1966 | 17 April 1966 | (Acting) |
| Major General | Arthur MacDonald | OBE | 18 April 1966 | 27 August 1967 | |
| Major General | Robert Hay | MBE | 27 August 1967 | 9 February 1969 | |
| Major General | Stuart Clarence Graham | DSO, OBE, MC | 10 February 1969 | 3 May 1972 | |
| Major General | Mark Bradbury | AO, CBE | 24 November 1975 | 1977 | |
| Major General | Donald Dunstan | CB, CBE | 1977 | 20 April 1977 | |
| Major General | John Whitelaw | AO, CBE | 21 April 1977 | 1978 | |
| Major General | John Williamson | AO, OBE | 12 June 1978 | 18 February 1979 | |
| Major General | Peter Falkland | AO | 19 February 1979 | 1982 | |
| Major General | Peter Gration | OBE | 1983 | 1983 | |
| Major General | Lawrence O'Donnell | | 1984 | 1985 | |
| Major General | Peter Day | | 1985 | 1986 | |
| Major General | Gordon Fitzgerald | AO | 1987 | 1990 | |
| Major General | Michael Jeffery | AO, MC | 1990 | 1991 | |
| Major General | John Grey | AO | 1991 | 1992 | |
| Major General | Arthur Fittock | AO | 1992 | 1992 | |
| Major General | Geoffrey Carter | AO | November 1992 | 1995 | |
| Deputy Chief of Army ||||||
| Major General | John Hartley | AO | 1995 | 1998 | |
| Major General | Peter Abigail | AO | 1998 | May 2000 | |
| Major General | Peter Leahy | AO | May 2000 | June 2002 | |
| Major General | Frank Roberts | AO | June 2002 | May 2004 | |
| Major General | Ian Gordon | AO | May 2004 | November 2006 | |
| Major General | John Cantwell | AO | January 2007 | January 2008 | |
| Major General | David Morrison | AM | January 2008 | July 2009 | |
| Major General | Paul Symon | AO | July 2009 | November 2011 | |
| Major General | Jeffrey Sengelman | DSC, AM, CSC | November 2011 | 2012 | |
| Major General | Angus Campbell | DSC, AM | 2012 | 19 September 2013 | |
| Major General | Gus Gilmore | AO, DSC | 19 September 2013 | 4 January 2015 | |
| Major General | Rick Burr | AO, DSC, MVO | 4 January 2015 | 3 May 2018 | |
| Major General | Jake Ellwood | DSC | 3 May 2018 | 10 December 2018 | |
| Major General | Anthony Rawlins | DSC, AM | 10 December 2018 | 2 February 2022 | |
| Major General | Natasha Fox | AM, CSC | 2 February 2022 | 5 June 2023 | |
| Major General | Cheryl Pearce | AM, CSC | 5 June 2023 | 31 January 2024 | |
| Major General | Chris Smith | DSC, AM, CSC | 31 January 2024 | Incumbent | |