Philippe Rebord
{{short description|Swiss Lieutenant General (born 1957)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox military person
|name = Philippe Rebord
|image =
|caption =
|birth_date = {{bda|1957|04|22|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Bovernier, Valais, Switzerland
|death_date =
|death_place =
|allegiance = {{flag|Switzerland}}
|branch = Swiss Armed Forces
|serviceyears = 1985–2019
|rank = x25px Korpskommandant
|commands = Chief of the Armed Forces of Switzerland
|awards =
}}
Philippe Rebord (born 22 April 1957) is a Swiss Lieutenant General. He served as the Chief of the Armed Forces beginning on 1 January 2017, succeeding André Blattmann. Rebord retired at the end of 2019 and was succeeded by Thomas Süssli.{{cite web | title=Lieutenant General Thomas Süssli, Chief of the Armed Forces | url=https://www.vtg.admin.ch/en/die-schweizer-armee/hoehere-stabsoffiziere/hso/suessli-thomas.html | date=1 January 2020 | website=Swiss Armed Forces | accessdate=3 January 2020}}
Early life and education
Rebord was born on 22 April 1957 in Bovernier, canton Valais. He earned a Lic. Phil.-hist. at the University of Lausanne.{{cite web | title=Korpskommandant Philippe Rebord | url=http://www.vtg.admin.ch/de/die-schweizer-armee/hoehere-stabsoffiziere/hso/rebord-philippe.html | publisher=Swiss Armed Forces | accessdate=10 January 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021123558/http://www.vtg.admin.ch/de/die-schweizer-armee/hoehere-stabsoffiziere/hso/rebord-philippe.html | archive-date=21 October 2016 | url-status=dead }}
Career
Rebord began his career in the Swiss Armed Forces in 1985. He served in numerous positions, rising through the ranks of the Armed Forces.
On 16 September 2016, after Chief of the Armed Forces André Blattmann announced his coming retirement, the Swiss government appointed Rebord to replace him.{{cite web | title=Switzerland Appoints New Head of Armed Forces | url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/military-chief_switzerland-appoints-new-head-of-armed-forces/42451098 | date=16 September 2016 | website=Swissinfo | accessdate=10 January 2017}} Blattmann's formal retirement ceremony was held on 8 December 2016 and Rebord officially succeeded him on 1 January 2017.{{cite web | title=Korpskommandant André Blattmann gibt Standarte der Schweizer Armee zurück | url=http://www.vtg.admin.ch/de/die-schweizer-armee/chef-der-armee.detail.news.html/verwaltung/2016/16-12/2016-12-08-stafette.html | date=December 8, 2016 | publisher=Swiss Armed Forces | accessdate=January 10, 2017 | language=de | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213133907/http://www.vtg.admin.ch/de/die-schweizer-armee/chef-der-armee.detail.news.html/verwaltung/2016/16-12/2016-12-08-stafette.html | archive-date=13 February 2017 | url-status=dead }}{{cite web | title=Le commandement de l'armée passe en mains du Valaisan Philippe Rebord | url=https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/8229030-le-commandement-de-l-armee-passe-en-mains-du-valaisan-philippe-rebord.html | date=December 8, 2016 | publisher=Radio Télévision Suisse | accessdate=January 10, 2017 | language=fr}}{{cite web | title=Philippe Rebord prend la tête de l'armée | url=http://www.tdg.ch/suisse/philippe-rebord-prend-tete-armee/story/10159266 | date=December 12, 2016 | website=tdg.ch | accessdate=January 10, 2017 | language=fr}} That same day, Rebord was promoted to the rank of Korpskommandant.
Soon after his appointment as Armed Forces Chief, Rebord made purchasing new fighter jets for the Swiss Air Force and ensuring that the Armed Forces continued having enough soldiers the priorities of the Armed Forces.{{cite web | title=New Army Chief Prioritises Soldier Supply, Jets | url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/philippe-rebord_new-army-chief-prioritises-soldier-supply--jets-/42454186 | date=18 September 2016 | website=Swissinfo | accessdate=10 January 2017}} He also called for an increased military budget, arguing the current levels were insufficient.{{cite web | title=Swiss Army Head Wants to Increase Budget | url=http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/military-spending_swiss-army-head-wants-to-increase-budget/43102868 | date=11 April 2017 | website=Swissinfo | accessdate=12 April 2017}}
In early April 2019, Rebord announced that he will resign at the end of the year due to a serious thrombosis and a needed hip operation.{{cite web | title=Head of Swiss army quits for health reasons | url=https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/philippe-rebord_head-of-swiss-army-quits/44872672 | date=4 April 2019 | work=Swissinfo | accessdate=10 January 2020}}{{cite web | last1=Neuhaus | first1=Christina | title=Der Chef der Schweizer Armee, Philippe Rebord, tritt zurück – VBS-Chefin betont Einvernehmlichkeit | url=https://www.nzz.ch/schweiz/philipp-rebord-tritt-ueberraschend-zurueck-ld.1472575 | date=4 April 2019 | work=Neue Zürcher Zeitung | accessdate=10 January 2020}} In early September 2019, Thomas Süssli was announced as his successor.{{cite web | title=Thomas Süssli, un civil à la tête de l'armée | url=https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/thomas-sussli-un-civil-tete-larmee | first=Boris | last=Busslinger | language=fr | date=4 September 2019 | newspaper=Le Temps | accessdate=27 December 2019}} Rebord's formal retirement ceremony was held on 5 December 2019, and his retirement officially took effect at the end of the year.{{cite web | title=Switzerland: The new head of the army has been inducted – Switzerland | url=https://m.en24.news/2019/12/switzerland-the-new-head-of-the-army-has-been-inducted-switzerland-2.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191230124118/https://m.en24.news/2019/12/switzerland-the-new-head-of-the-army-has-been-inducted-switzerland-2.html | url-status=usurped | archive-date=30 December 2019 | date=5 December 2019 | website=En24 News | accessdate=27 December 2019}}{{cite web | title=Armée: le chef de l’armée Philippe Rebord passe le relais à son successeur Thomas Süssli au Château de Chillon | url=https://www.lenouvelliste.ch/articles/suisse/armee-le-chef-de-l-armee-philippe-rebord-passe-le-relais-a-son-successeur-thomas-sussli-au-chateau-de-chillon-888393 | date=5 December 2019 | work=Le Nouvelliste | accessdate=10 January 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20161021123558/http://www.vtg.admin.ch/de/die-schweizer-armee/hoehere-stabsoffiziere/hso/rebord-philippe.html Official profile page]
{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=Lt Gen André Blattmann}}
{{s-ttl|title=Chief of the Armed Forces|years=1 January 2017 – 31 December 2019}}
{{s-aft|after=Lt Gen Thomas Süssli}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rebord, Philippe}}
Category:People from Martigny District
Category:University of Lausanne alumni
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