general staff• Three days previously he had abolished the post of chief of general staff, held by Vice-Adml.• It had no permanentgeneral staff.• Its rearlegs have joined the general staff, who are all in discussion with their backs towards me.• Valery Manilov, deputy chief of the general staff.• Anatoly Kvashnin, chief of the general staff, to cut spending on the nucleararsenal.• Yet the general staff of overseers is small, only about 40 employees, supplemented by local officials in 94 judicialdistricts.• The general staff is unhappy and the squaddies disgruntled, but no more than that.