ALLIED LAND FORCES SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE |
Major General Orhan Tan was born in Eskisehir in 1941. After completing his high school education at the Kuleli Military high school, he graduated from the Land Forces Academy in 1961 as an artillery officer. General Tan graduated from the Artillery and Missile School in 1963 and served as platoon leader and battery commander in various artillery units until 1970.
General Tan attended the Army Staff College from 1970 to1972 and after graduating as a General Staff officer, he served as Chief, Operations and Training Branch of a Mechanized Division and as a staff officer and instructor in the Staff Colleges.
After graduating from NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy in 1976, General Tan served as a plans officer under Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations in Supreme Headquarters, Allied Powers Europe(SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium from 1976 to 1979, an as a branch chief under Chief, Operations, Turkish General Staff from 1979 to 1982. Following his graduation from the U.S. Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania in the 1982-1983 academic yeaR, General Tan returned to his position of branch chief under Chief, Operations, TGS for a further two years.
General Tan served as a Regiment Commander from 1985 to 1987 and as Chief, Intelligence Division and Secretary of General Staff, Turkish Third Army from 1987 to 1988. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General with the effect from 30 August 1988 and assigned as Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations to Headquarters, LANDSOUTHEAST where he served from 1988 to 1990. He then served as Commander, Artillery and Missile School and Training Center from 1990 to 1992 and as Provost Marshal in Ankara from 1992 to 1993.
Following his promotion to the rank of Major General in 1993, General Tan served as an Infantry Division Commander from 1993 to 1995. On 21 August 1995 he assumed his position as Chief of Staff, HQ LANDSOUTHEAST.
Major General Tan is married to Mrs. Aysel Tan and they have a son named Cenk.