Constantin Croitoru
Encyclopedia
General locotenent
Constantin Croitoru (born May 5, 1952 in Diţeşti, Prahova County
) was the Chief of the Romanian Air Force
Staff until January 30, 2009.
He was discharged by the Minister of National Defense, Mihai Stănişoară, after it has been discovered that various weapons were missing from a military depot near Ciorogârla
, Ilfov County
.
.
Croitoru has considerable flight experience; he has lodged some 1,500 flying hours on a variety of aircraft, including MiG-15, MiG-21 LanceR, MiG-29, and IAR 316
.
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
Constantin Croitoru (born May 5, 1952 in Diţeşti, Prahova County
Prahova County
Prahova is a county of Romania, in the historical region Muntenia, with the capital city at Ploieşti.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 829,945 and the population density was 176/km². It is Romania's most populated county, having a population density double than the country's mean...
) was the Chief of the Romanian Air Force
Romanian Air Force
The Romanian Air Force is the air force branch of the Romanian Armed Forces. It has an air force headquarters, an operational command, four air bases and an air defense brigade...
Staff until January 30, 2009.
He was discharged by the Minister of National Defense, Mihai Stănişoară, after it has been discovered that various weapons were missing from a military depot near Ciorogârla
Ciorogârla
Ciorogârla is a commune in the southwestern part of Ilfov County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Ciorogârla and Dârvari. The Ciorogârla River flows through this location; its name, of Slavic origin, means "murky stream".-Further reading:...
, Ilfov County
Ilfov County
Ilfov is the county that surrounds Bucharest, the capital of Romania. It used to be largely rural, but after the fall of communism, many of the county's villages and communes developed into high-income commuter towns, which act like suburbs or satellites of Bucharest...
.
Military career
He joined the military in 1974 after graduating from the Air Force Military School. He attended the courses of the Academy of High Military Studies from 1981 to 1983. After graduation, he was appointed Chief Instructor of the 70th Air Division. During his career he also was assigned as air base and air division commander at the Air Operational Command, Chief of Operations Directorate, and Deputy Director of the General Staff. His most recent appointment was Director of the General Directorate for Defense IntelligenceDirectia Generala de Informatii a Apararii
Direcţia Generală de Informaţii a Apărării is Romania's military intelligence agency, subordinated to the Ministry of National Defense.DGIA is organized into 2 directorates:...
.
Croitoru has considerable flight experience; he has lodged some 1,500 flying hours on a variety of aircraft, including MiG-15, MiG-21 LanceR, MiG-29, and IAR 316
IAR 316
-References:* http://avia.russian.ee/helicopters_eng/iar-317.php* https://sites.google.com/site/stingrayslistofrotorcraft/iar-317-airfox-See also:...
.
Education
- Air Force Military School, 1974
- Military Academy, Air Force and Air defense Branch, 1983
- Brigade/Regiment Commander Course, 1993
- Improvement Course for Strategic Operation Management, 1996
- National Defense College, 2001
- English language advanced course, Canada, 2002
- Teaching Personnel Training Course, Bucharest, 2006
Appointments
- 1974-1984 – pilot, chief-pilot and patrol leader, 57th Fighter Regiment
- 1984-1990 – Chief Instructor, 70th Air Division
- 1990-1994 – staff officer, Methodical Training Office, Air Force and Air Defense Staff
- 1994-1995 – Deputy Commander, responsible for flying operations, 70th Air Division
- 1995-1998 – Deputy Commander, responsible for flying operations, 1st Air Corps "Siret"
- 1998-2000 – Deputy Chief, Doctrine and Training, Air Force Staff
- 2000-2001 – Chief of Staff, 1st Air Division "Siret"
- 2001-2002 – Commander of the 90th Airlift BaseRoAF 90th Airlift BaseThe Romanian Air Force 90th Airlift Base is located at the Henri Coandă International Airport, near Bucharest. In 1949, the 49th Transport Group was the first unit to be settled at Otopeni airfield. Later, in 1971, a special squadron was commissioned here and after few years this squadron became...
- 2002-2003 – Commander of the 1st Air Division
- 2003-2005 – Commander Main Air Operational Command
- 2005-2006 – Deputy Director General Staff
- 2006-2007 – Director of the General Directorate for Defense Intelligence
- March 2007-January 2009 – Chief of Air Force Staff
Promotions
- 1977 – Second LieutenantSecond LieutenantSecond lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
- 1978 – LieutenantLieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
- 1981 - Captain
- 1986 – MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
- 1990 – Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
- 1994 – ColonelColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
- 2001 – Brigadier GeneralBrigadier GeneralBrigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
- 2004 – Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
- 2006 – Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....