Anthony Birks

Lieutenant General Anthony Leonard Birks, (30 December 1941 – 21 January 2002) was a senior officer in the New Zealand Army. He served as the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the New Zealand Army, from 1992 to 1995, and in New Zealand's most senior military post as Chief of Defence Force from 1995 until his retirement in 1999.

Biography Born in Wellington, New Zealand, on 30 December 1941, Anthony Birks, known as Tony, attended St. Andrew's College, in Christchurch, and then went onto Nelson College.

In the 1978 New Year Honours, Birks was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military Division). From 1985 to 1990, he was commander of the 3rd Task Force, and during this time he was promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1987 Queen's Birthday Honours.

He spent a period of time in the United Kingdom studying at the Royal College of Defence Studies before becoming Chief of the General Staff, with the rank of major general, in 1992. During his time in this role, he strengthened the combat capacity of the New Zealand Army. In 1995, he was promoted to lieutenant general and became Chief of the Defence Force, and worked towards updating the equipment of all three branches of the military. During his time in the role, which ended in 1999, he also dealt with gender discrimination.