16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, known simply as 16 Air Assault Brigade from 1999 – 2021, is a formation of the British Army predominantly based in Colchester, Essex. It makes up the Air Assault Task Force, a battlegroup held at high readiness, and is the only brigade in the British Army focused on operating via parachute, helicopter and air-landing.
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 Sir William Norman Roy Scotter, was a senior British Army officer who served as commander-in-chief, British Army of the Rhine from September 1978 until October 1980.
General Sir James Rupert Everard, is a retired senior British Army officer who served as NATO's Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
Lieutenant General Sir William Raoul Rollo, is a former senior British Army officer.
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 Antony Kenneth Frederick Walker, was a British Army officer who served as Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies from 1990 to 1992.
Lieutenant General Sir John Gordon Lorimer, is a retired senior British Army officer, who served as the Chief of Joint Operations and the Defence Senior Adviser to the Middle East and North Africa. He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man on 29 September 2021.
Lieutenant General Sir Anthony Richard Guy Mullens, was a British Army officer who served as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Systems) from 1989 to 1992.
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 David Andrew Capewell, is a retired Royal Marines officer who served as Chief of Joint Operations from 2011 to 2015.
Lieutenant General Sir Nicholas Arthur William Pope, is a former senior British Army officer. He served as the last Master-General of the Ordnance from 2011 to 2013 when the position was abolished and then as Deputy Chief of the General Staff from 2015 to 2019.
General Sir Timothy Buchan Radford, is a retired British Army officer who served as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Commander Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and Deputy Commander Resolute Support Mission.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard John Knighton, is a senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and professional engineer, currently serving as Chief of the Air Staff, the professional head of the RAF, since 2 June 2023. He previously served as Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from January 2015 to January 2017, Deputy Chief of Defence Staff at the Ministry of Defence, and as Deputy Commander Capability at RAF Air Command. Knighton is notable for being the first Chief of the Air Staff who is not a military pilot or indeed aircrew-qualified.
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.
Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS) is the title of the deputy to the Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army. From 1942 until 1968 the Deputy Chief was the third-ranking member of the General Staff, subordinate the Chief and Vice Chief. As of September 2015, the role of Deputy CGS is to be "responsible for representing the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) within Head Office and outwards to relevant TLBs and dependencies, provides oversight of the Army Operating Model and provides overall personnel policy direction as the Principal Personnel Officer (PPO)."
Lieutenant General Sir Christopher Linley Tickell, is a senior British Army officer who served as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff from August 2019 to August 2022.
Lieutenant General David James Eastman, is a senior British Army officer. He served as General Officer Commanding Regional Command from February 2020 to July 2022, and in June 2024 was appointed as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff.
Lieutenant General Sir Ian John Cave,, is a British Army officer who was Commander Home Command from June 2021 to September 2023. He now serves as the UK Military Representative to NATO and to the European Union.
