Zaza Gogava (Georgian: ზაზა გოგავა; born July 14, 1971) is a Georgian Major General.[1] He served as a Chief of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Georgia from November 2006 to November 2008 and the chief of Border Police from November 2008 to July 2012.

Zaza Gogava
Brigadier General Zaza Gogava. c. 2008
BornJuly 14, 1971
Allegiance Georgia
Service / branchGeorgian Army
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Rank
CommandsGeorgian Special Forces
Georgian Armed Forces
Georgian Border Police
Battles / warsRusso-Georgian War (2008)

Gogava served his compulsory military service in the Soviet Army motorized rifle units from 1989 to 1990. He was one of the first batch of Georgian conscripts to defect from the Soviet forces. He graduated from the Tbilisi State Technical University in 1994 and began his career in the special task group "Omega" within Georgia's security services in 1995. He has since served in various counter-terrorist units and special forces subdivisions, and was further trained in the United States between 1995 and 2002. Gogava was placed in command of the Counter-terrorism Division of Special Operations Center in 2003 and the élite Police Special Tasks Division named after General G. Gulua in 2004. He was appointed Commander of Georgian Special Operations Forces of the Ministry of Defense of Georgia in 2004 and Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Georgia in 2006. After the reshuffle within the Ministry of Defense in November 2006, Gogava became the Chief of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Georgia.[2]

Gogava was later appointed as chief of Border Police, replacing Badri Bitsadze, who had earlier announced his resignation.[3] Gogava served in this position until the reshuffle in the Interior Ministry top brass in July 2012.[4]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Head of the MIA Border Police of Georgia". Border Police of Georgia. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.
  2. ^ Chief of Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Georgia. Ministry of Defense of Georgia. Accessed on April 2, 2008.
  3. ^ New Army Chief of Staff Appointed. Civil Georgia. November 4, 2008
  4. ^ Reshuffle in Interior Ministry's Top Brass. Civil Georgia. July 8, 2012.
Military offices
Preceded by Chief of Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces
2006 – 2008
Succeeded by
Police appointments
Preceded by Chief of the Border Police
2008 – 2012
Succeeded by
Nika Dzimtseishvili