General Constantin Degeratu, Chief of the Romanian Defense Staff, was born in 1948. He graduated from the infantry officer's school as a 3rd Lieutenant in 1969, and from the military academy as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1971. His only command assignment was as a recon platoon leader in the 26th Mountain Battalion of the 5th Mountain Brigade; since then he served as a staff officer, first in recon units and then in the Operations Departments of various units (finally in field army level commands). He was promoted Captain in 1976, Major in 1982, Lieutenant Colonel in 1988, Colonel in 1990, Major General (one-star) in 1993, Lieutenant General (two stars) in 1995, and Army General (three stars) upon selection as Chief of Defense Staff in 1997. He received a masters degree in "informatics" in 1976, a law degree in 1983, and received his PhD in military science in 1996. --Stephen V Cole