Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi was born in 1954 in Moshav Hagor. He is a graduate of the military boarding school of the Gymnasia Herzliya in Tel Aviv. 1972 - Ashkenazi was recruited to the IDF Golani Brigade 1973 - During the Yom Kippur War, Ashkenazi participated in the battles along the southern front 1976 - Ashkenazi participated in the Entebbe operation 1978 - Serving as a deputy battalion commander in the Golani Brigade, Ashkenazi was wounded while participating in the Litani operation 1979-1980 - Took part in the Barak Command and Staff Course, which he completed with honors 1980 - Appointed commander of a Golani battalion 1981 - Received the rank of lieutenant colonel 1982 - During the war in Lebanon, Ashkenazi was appointed deputy commander of the Golani Brigade and commanded the forces that captured the Beaufort, Nabatiya and Jebel Baruch 1983-1984 - Participated in the Command and Staff Course of the US Army Marines 1984 - Appointed operations officer at the headquarters of the Infantry and Paratroopers Corps 1985 - Promoted to the rank of colonel and became the commander of a regional brigade in the IDF's Northern Command 1987 - Appointed commander of the Golani Brigade 1988 - Appointed operations officer of the Northern Command 1990 - Transferred to the Armored Corps, received the rank of brigadier general and was appointed commander of a Reserve Armored Division in the Northern Command 1992 - Appointed commander of the IDF Liaison Unit to Lebanon 1994 - Appointed commander of the IDF Operations Unit within the General Staff 1996 - Promoted to major general and served as assistant head of the General Staff Branch, in the IDF's General Staff 1998 - Appointed GOC Northern Command 2002 - Appointed deputy chief of General Staff 2005 - Ashkenazi retired from the IDF • On February 4, 2007, the government of Israel decided to appoint Gabi Ashkenazi to be the 19th chief of General Staff. • On February 14, 2007, Gabi Ashkenazi received the rank of lieutenant general and was sworn in as chief of General Staff. • Lt.-Gen. Ashkenazi holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Haifa and is a graduate of the Harvard Business Management program for senior executives. He is married to Ronit and is the father of Itai and Gali.