Sir Patrick Sanders | |
---|---|
Born | Tidworth, Wiltshire, England | 6 April 1966
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Years of service | 1984–present |
Rank | General |
Service number | 520489 |
Unit | The Rifles |
Commands held | Chief of the General Staff Strategic Command Field Army 3rd (United Kingdom) Division Task Force Helmand 20th Armoured Brigade 4th Battalion, The Rifles 2nd Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets |
Battles/wars | The Troubles Kosovo War Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order |
Alma mater | Royal Military Academy Sandhurst |
General Sir Patrick Nicholas Yardley Monrad Sanders, KCB , CBE , DSO , ADC Gen (born 6 April 1966) is a senior British Army officer serving as Chief of the General Staff since June 2022. [1]
Born on 6 April 1966 at Tidworth, Wiltshire, he is the son of Lieutenant Colonel John Sanders. [2] He was educated at Worth School, then an all-boys private boarding school attached to the eponymous Benedictine Abbey. [2] After leaving school, he studied at the University of Exeter, [3] having been awarded a British Army undergraduate cadetship. [4] He left before taking his degree. [5] He later pursed further studies at Cranfield University, [6] graduating with a Master of Arts (MA) degree in defence technology. [5]
Sanders was commissioned into the Royal Green Jackets, British Army, on 23 September 1984, as a second lieutenant (on probation) as part of his undergraduate cadetship. [4] He left university without completing his degree, and his commission was terminated on 27 July 1985. [7] He then attended the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, and was once more commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Green Jackets on 12 April 1986. [8]
He served as a subaltern in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and then undertook tours in Kosovo in 1999 and Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2001. [3] He became Chief of Staff of 1st Mechanised Brigade in 2002 and then Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion the Royal Green Jackets in 2005. [3] In the latter role he managed the transition of his battalion to become 4th Battalion The Rifles, then seeing action at the siege of UK bases in Basra in 2007 during the Iraq War. [9] On 25 July 2008, he was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Iraq during the period 1st October 2007 to 31st March 2008". [10]
Sanders became Commander of 20th Armoured Brigade in August 2009, [11] deployed under Task Force Helmand to Afghanistan in October 2011. [9] On 28 September 2012, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2011 to 31 March 2012". [12] He served as Chief of the Defence Staff's Liaison Officer to the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2012 and Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) in March 2013. [13] In 2014, he attended the Prime Minister's COBRA meetings on the floods crisis. [9]
Sanders took command of the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division in April 2015. [14] Then in December 2016, he was appointed Commander Field Army and promoted lieutenant general. [15] Sanders was promoted general on 6 May 2019 and appointed as Commander Joint Forces Command; [16] Joint Forces Command was renamed as Strategic Command on 9 December 2019. [17]
Sanders was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2020 New Year Honours. [18] He was the preferred candidate of the Ministry of Defence to succeed General Sir Nick Carter as Chief of the Defence Staff in 2021, due to his expertise in cyber capability, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson picked Admiral Sir Tony Radakin instead. [19] [20] Announced in February 2022, Sanders became Chief of the General Staff in June 2022. [21]
On 7 June 2022, Sanders took the decision to cancel an overseas deployment by the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment after a number of incidents which demonstrated a poor standard of discipline in the unit. [22] Armed Forces Minister James Heappey was said to be "sorry and embarrassed" by the "disgraceful" behaviour. [23]
On 16 June 2022, Sanders told British soldiers they are the generation that must prepare "to fight in Europe once again" as the conflict in Ukraine escalated, stating "There is now a burning imperative to forge an Army capable of fighting alongside our allies and defeating Russia in battle." [24]
The Guardian reported in June 2023 that following concerns in the Ministry of Defence that Sanders might resign over spending cuts in the Army, interviews had already taken place to find Sanders' successor. [25]
Speaking at the Defence iQ International Armoured Vehicles conference in January 2024, Sanders described the British people as part of a "prewar generation" who may have to prepare themselves to fight in a war against Russia. Sanders said the UK needed to take "preparatory steps to enable placing our societies on a war footing", such as a form of national service. Such action was "not merely desirable, but essential", he added. [26] The Guardian later reported that Sanders received a dressing down after this speech, which was not agreed by either 10 Downing Street or the Ministry of Defence. [27]
Colonel Commandant of The Rifles (2019–2023), [28] Sanders was then appointed Colonel Commandant and President of the Honourable Artillery Company on 31 January 2019, succeeding General Sir Richard Barrons. [29]
A Freeman of the City of London, he is also a Liveryman of the Blacksmiths' Company. [30]
In May 2023, Sanders carried the Queen's Sceptre in the Royal Procession at the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla. [31]
The Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) is the professional head of the British Armed Forces and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The chief of the defence staff is based at the Ministry of Defence and works alongside the Permanent Under-Secretary of State for Defence, the ministry's senior civil servant. The Chief of Defence is the highest ranking officer to currently serve in the armed forces.
The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) has been the title of the professional head of the British Army since 1964. The CGS is a member of both the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Army Board; he is also the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Army Board. Prior to 1964, the title was Chief of the Imperial General Staff (CIGS). Since 1959, the post has been immediately subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Staff, the post held by the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
Field Marshal Michael John Dawson Walker, Baron Walker of Aldringham, is a retired British Army officer. Commissioned in 1966, he served in Cyprus, Northern Ireland, and in a variety of staff posts in the United Kingdom until 1984. After being given command of a battalion, he was mentioned in despatches for his service during a second tour of duty in Northern Ireland, this time in Derry, and subsequently served a tour on Gibraltar. He was promoted to brigadier, unusually having never held the rank of colonel, and took command of 20th Armoured Brigade in Germany before becoming I Corps chief of staff.
General John Nicholas Reynolds Houghton, Baron Houghton of Richmond, is a retired senior British Army officer and former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of the British Armed Forces. He was appointed CDS in July 2013, following the retirement of General Sir David Richards. He served as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, the Green Howards in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and later became Commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland. He deployed as Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General, Multi-National Force – Iraq during the Iraq War. Later, he became Chief of Joint Operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters and served as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff until assuming the position of CDS. Houghton retired from the British Army in July 2016, and was succeeded as CDS by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach.
General David Julian Richards, Baron Richards of Herstmonceux, is a retired senior British Army officer and Peer who was formerly the Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces. He succeeded Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup in this role on 29 October 2010.
General Sir Gordon Kenneth Messenger, is a retired senior Royal Marines officer who served as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff from May 2016 to May 2019. As a colonel he commanded 40 Commando during the Iraq War, and led the Commando in the assault on the Al-Faw Peninsula. He served as British Commander of Task Force Helmand, during the 3 Commando Brigade deployment to Helmand Province, Afghanistan on Operation Herrick IX from 2008 to 2009. After his retirement, Messenger has held ceremonial positions, including Lord High Steward at the coronation of King Charles III in 2023.
General Sir Peter Anthony Wall, is a retired British Army officer who served as the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, until September 2014. Wall had previously been the Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces from August 2009 to September 2010. He succeeded General Sir David Richards as Chief of the General Staff in September 2010, the latter going on a month later to be Chief of the Defence Staff.
General Sir Kevin O'Donoghue, is a retired British Army officer and former Chief of Defence Materiel. He retired from the service in December 2010, being succeeded as Chief of Defence Materiel by Bernard Gray.
General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter, is a retired senior British Army officer who served as Chief of the Defence Staff from June 2018 to November 2021.
General Sir Richard Lawson Barrons, is a retired British Army officer. He was Commander Joint Forces Command from April 2013 until his retirement in April 2016.
General Sir Mark Alexander Popham Carleton-Smith, is a senior British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff from June 2018 to June 2022. He previously served as Director Special Forces and commanded 22 Special Air Service Regiment.
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Anthony Beckett, is a former British Army officer. He served as Chief of Staff for the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.
Admiral Sir Antony David Radakin, is a senior Royal Navy officer. He was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff, the professional head of the British Armed Forces, in November 2021. Radakin was previously the First Sea Lord, the professional head of the Naval Service from June 2019 to November 2021. He was Chief of Staff, Joint Forces Command, from 2016 to 2018, and the Second Sea Lord and Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff from 2018 to 2019. He was appointed Lord High Constable of England in 2023, and in that role took part in the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla.
Lieutenant General Richard Edward Nugee, CB, CVO, CBE is a retired senior British Army officer. He served in several senior roles including Defence Services Secretary (2015–2016) and Chief of Defence People (2016–2020), before ending his career leading a review into climate change policy in the Ministry of Defence between March 2020 and May 2021.
Lieutenant General Giles Patrick Hill, is a retired senior British Army officer. He commanded the 1st Division from 2015 to 2017, was Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff from 2017 to 2019, and served as the Deputy Commander of NATO's Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan from 2019 until December 2020.
General Sir James Richard Hockenhull, is a senior British Army officer who has served as Commander Strategic Command since May 2022.
Lieutenant General Dame Sharon Patricia Moffat Nesmith, is a senior British Army officer. She has been Deputy Chief of the General Staff since August 2022. She became the first woman to command a British Army brigade in 2014, the first woman to command a British division-level formation in 2021, and the first woman to be promoted to lieutenant general in the British Army in 2022. She will become the first woman to be promoted to general in June 2024, when she assumes the post of Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.
General Gwyn Jenkins, is the senior Royal Marines officer, serving as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff since August 2022. He was concurrently appointed Commandant General Royal Marines in November 2022.
Major General David James Eastman, is a senior British Army officer. Between February 2020 and July 2022, he served as General Officer Commanding, Regional Command.
Lieutenant General Sir Charles Roland Vincent Walker, is a senior British Army officer, serving as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff since April 2021. He will take up the post of Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, in 2024.
JFC is also being renamed Strategic Command to better reflect the contribution it makes to defence.