Buster Howes | |
---|---|
![]() Howes in 2011 | |
Born | Newcastle upon Tyne, England | 22 March 1960
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | Royal Marines |
Years of service | 1982–2015 [1] |
Rank | Major General |
Commands held | Commandant General Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade 42 Commando |
Battles/wars | Operation Banner Gulf War Bosnian War Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Major General Francis Hedley Roberton "Buster" Howes, CB , OBE (born 22 March 1960) is a former Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from February 2010 to December 2011.
Howes was educated at Christ's Hospital, a private school in Horsham, West Sussex. He studied chemistry at the University of York, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree. He completed a Master of Arts degree in strategic studies at the University of London. [2] [3]
Howes was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1982. [3] He became a troop commander in 42 Commando and had his first posting to Northern Ireland. After training as a Mountain Leader, he transferred to 45 Commando. [3] He served in the Gulf War while on secondment to the United States Marine Corps. He served as a planner in the Rapid Reaction Force Operations Staff of United Nations Protection Force during the Bosnian War in 1995. [3]
Howes led 42 Commando during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, for which he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. [2] He became Chief Joint Coordination and Effects in Headquarters ISAF in Afghanistan in 2007, [4] and Director of Naval Staff later that year. [5] He went on to be commander of 3 Commando Brigade in April 2008, Head of Overseas Operations in the Ministry of Defence in 2009 and Commandant General Royal Marines in February 2010. [3] He was Head of the British Defence Staff – US and Defence Attaché in Washington, D.C. from 2011 to 2015, [6] [7] and was appointed an Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2013 Birthday Honours. [8]
In June 2020, Howes was appointed Chief Executive of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo after having served as a non-executive director of the organisation since 2015. [9]
Major General David Crichton Alexander was a senior Royal Marines officer.
Lieutenant General Sir Robert Henry Gervase Fulton, is a retired British Royal Marines officer who served as Governor of Gibraltar from 2006 to 2009.
Major General Sir John Jeremy Moore, was a British senior Royal Marine officer who served as the commander of the British land forces during the Falklands War in 1982. Moore received the surrender of the Argentine forces on the islands.
Major General Garry Stuart Robison, is a retired Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant-General Royal Marines and Commander United Kingdom Amphibious Forces from 2006 to 2009.
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.
Major General Andrew Salmon, is a retired Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 2009 to 2010.
Lieutenant General Sir James Benjamin "Jim" Dutton, is a retired Royal Marines officer and former Governor of Gibraltar. He held various staff positions in his early career, before commanding 40 Commando. As a brigadier, he held two high-level staff posts—the first at the Ministry of Defence in London, as Director of NATO policy, and the second as a British liaison to The Pentagon shortly after the September 11 attacks, where he was involved in the planning for the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan.
Lieutenant General Sir Michael Compton Lockwood Wilkins, was a senior Royal Marines officer who served as Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey from 1990 to 1994.
Lieutenant General Edward Grant Martin Davis, is a former senior Royal Marines officer. He was Commandant General Royal Marines from December 2011 to June 2014, and the Deputy Commander of NATO's Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey, from 2014 to 2015. He was Governor of Gibraltar from 2016 to 2020.
Major General Anthony Arthur Milton, is a retired Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 2002 to 2004.
Lieutenant General Sir Henry York La Roche Beverley, is a retired Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 1990 to 1994.
General Sir Basil Ian Spencer Gourlay, was a Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 1971 to 1975.
General Sir Campbell Richard Hardy, was a Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 1955 to 1959.
Lieutenant General Sir David Andrew Capewell, is a retired Royal Marines officer who served as Chief of Joint Operations from 2011 to 2015.
Major General Martin Linn Smith, is a former senior Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 2014 to 2016. He was previously commander of 3 Commando Brigade, and before that Commanding Officer of 30 Commando Information Exploitation Group and Deputy Commander of 3 Commando Brigade. Smith is currently a non-executive adviser of Texo Group.
Major-General Robert Dyer Houghton,, commonly known as "Titch", was a Royal Marines officer of the Second World War and post-war period.
Lieutenant General Sir Robert Andrew Magowan, is a senior Royal Marines officer who serves as the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff since May 2022. He previously served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2021 to 2022.
Lieutenant General Charles Richard Stickland, is a senior Royal Marines officer, who has served as the Chief of Joint Operations since November 2021. He was Commandant General Royal Marines from January 2018 to June 2019.
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 Matthew John Holmes, was a British senior Royal Marines officer who served for more than three decades in the armed forces. After studying economics at the University of Exeter, he joined the Royal Marines and undertook early tours of duty to Norway, the Far East, Northern Ireland and Zimbabwe. After being deployed to Kosovo and Afghanistan, he commanded 42 Commando Royal Marines from 2006 to 2008 and was awarded a Distinguished Service Order for his leadership in Afghanistan, as well as the United States Legion of Merit for his exceptionally meritorious service. Holmes served as Commandant General Royal Marines from 2019 to 2021.