Lebanese Army Website

Armed Forces Commanders - Iskandar Ghanem

1- General Information:

Date and place of birth: 1911- Sagbyn - Caza of West Bekaa

Languages: French and English

Marital status: Married/3 children

2- Promotions:

Has enrolled at the Military Academy of Homs as Cadet Officer, on 9/10/1934

Promoted to Second Lieutenant on 7/14/1937

Promoted to First Lieutenant on 7/14/1941

Promoted to Captain on 7/1/1947

Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 7/1/1954

Promoted to Colonel of Staff on 7/1/ 19 60

Promoted to General of Staff on 7/1/1965

Promoted to Major General on 8/25/1965

Promoted to General on 7/25/1971

3- Functions:

Assigned to the 1^st Orient regiment on 7/14/1937

Assigned to the Lebanese artillery detachment of the Coast guards on 10/16/1940

Assigned to the Geographic Service of Planning of the Free Forces of France on 9/1/1941

Assigned to the Military Academy of Homs as Instructor of planning Skills on 10/15/1943

Assigned to the company site of Beirut , and detached to the service of Geography on 7/16/1945

Assigned to the military institute (commander of the Officers School) on 3/16/1946

Assigned to the artillery regiment as assistant Commander on 10/1/1946

Appointed commander of the artillery regiment on 2/13/1948

resumed command of the artillery regiment on 8/5/1955

Appointed artillery inspector and commander of the artillery regiment on 11/1/1955

Assigned as artillery inspector only, and was transferred to the General Headquarters on 10/1/1957

In addition to his above post , he was assigned commander of the anti-aircraft regiment on 5/14/1958

Was appointed deputy chief of staff of war of the Army Command on 1/1/1959

Appointed commander of North Lebanon region on 1/20/1966

Designated as Defense attaché of the Land, Sea and Air Forces at the Lebanese Embassy in the United States of America on 7/1/1966

Appointed as chief of the Military court on 8/1/1967

Commissioned as commander of Beirut site on 9/2/1967

Appointed commander of North Lebanon region on 1/29/1968

Commissioned as commander of the Beirut site on 4/5/1968

Was transferred to the general HQ of the Beirut site as Commander of the site on 12/1/1968

Retired by age on 7/1/1969

Reinstated to service on 7/25/1971 and was appointed Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces

Designated Minister of National Defense and Minister of Water and Electric power Resources on 5/23/1975, with still keeping his Military Rank and Title

Left the Political Job and maintained his initial function as Armed Forces Commander on 7/1/1975

Retired on 7/1/1976

Passed away on 2/4/2005

4- Courses inside the country:

Firing Course in 1937

One Year, Art of planning course at the office of topography, , on 6/1/1938

Intelligence course from 1/15/1941 to 1/31/1941

Training course at the Officers' School from 3/2/1941 to 3/17/1947

Wireless equipment course from 12/19/1949 to 12/22/1949

Training course for Unit commanders from 2/6/1950 to 3/14/1950

Flying Course from 12/11/1950 to 12/16/1950

Complementary course for senior officers from 1/15/1952 to 2/15/1952

Complementary Course for Unit Commanders from 1/3/1953 to 1/24/1953

5- Courses outside the country:

Artillery course in France from 4/10/1951 to 7/22/1951

Training course in Cyprus from 3/15/1952 to 3/31/1952

Training course in the United States of America from 6/12/1954 to 7/1/1955

6- Medals, awards and honors:

Palestine commemorative medal

Lebanese Silver order of Merit

Order of the Cedar in Class of Knight

Lebanese Order of Merit in silver with branches

Order of the Merit Cross of the Military Association of Malta

Morocco: Order of the throne, Class of Commander

Brazilian Medal

Chinese Order of Merit

French Order of Merit

Decoration of Leon XIII, from the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem

War Medal in bronze with branches

National order of the Cedar in Officer Class

Egyptian Order of Independence , Class of Commander

Haitian National Order of Merit in Grand Officer Class

Portuguese Military Order of Merit in Second Class

Lebanese Golden Order of Merit

Commemorative Decoration

National Order of the Cedar, Class of Commander

National Order of the Cedar in Class of Grand officer

National Order of the Cedar in Grand Cordon Class

Roman Decoration in Class of Grand Officer

Ecuadorian Medal in Class of Grand Officer

Chad Medal, Class of Commander

USA Medal of 1968

Order of Military esteem, Silver Class

Commendation of the Armed Forces Commander, with war Medal, one time

Felicitations of the Armed Forces Commander, Two times