Lieutenant General Colm Mangan was the Chief of Staff

Chief of Staff

The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...

 of the Irish Defence Forces

Irish Defence Forces

The armed forces of Ireland, known as the Defence Forces encompass the Army, Naval Service, Air Corps and Reserve Defence Force.The current Supreme Commander of the Irish Defence forces is His Excellency Michael D Higgins in his role as President of Ireland...

 from September 2000 until February 2004.

Mangan joined the Defence Forces as a cadet in 1960 and is cited as having "overseen major strategic initiatives in the key areas of state defence, provision of peace support and government support services, equipment and infrastructual modernisations programmes and human resource management."

He oversaw the deployment of Irish troops to East Timor

East Timor

The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...

 (1999–2002), Kosovo

Kosovo

Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...

 (1999-), Eritrea

Eritrea

Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...

 2001-2003 and Liberia

Liberia

Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...

 (2003-). He was awarded the Legion of Merit

Legion of Merit

The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

 by the USA in September 2003, and the Cross of Honor in Gold by Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 in January 2004. In recognition of his service to the Defence Forces and the nation, the Irish government awarded him the Distinguished Service Medal

Distinguished Service Medal (Republic of Ireland)

The Distinguished Service Medal is issued by the Irish Government.It is issued in three grades:The Distinguished Service Medal is issued by the Irish Government.It is issued in three grades:...

 (with honour) on Thursday February 19, 2004.. He was succeeded by Lt. General James Sreenan

James Sreenan

Lt. General James Sreenan is a former Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces.A native of Ballymote, County Sligo, Sreenan has been a member of the army since 1963, serving initially with the 5th Infantry Battalion, as well as 8th Infantry Battalion and 20th Infantry Battalion FCA...

in February 2004.