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General Sir Nick Carter To Become New Head Of Military

General Sir Nick Carter is set to be appointed the new Head of the Armed Forces.

He will take over as Chief of Defence Staff from Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach having served as Chief of the General Staff (CGS) since September 2014.

General Carter joined the British Army as a member of The Royal Green Jackets in 1978 and throughout his military career has served in Northern Ireland, Cyprus, Germany, Bosnia and Kosovo.

From 1998 he commanded 2nd Battalion, The Royal Green Jackets from Germany, seeing them through operational deployments in Bosnia and Kosovo.

Honoured and humbled by the announcement of my appointment as the next Chief of the Defence Staff with the eyes of Wellington upon me at the start of the Army Board; the perfect historic location to lay out the Army’s ambitious strategy for adapting to the intensifying threats pic.twitter.com/5RypE5g7Du
— Gen Nick Carter (@ArmyCGS) March 28, 2018

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said of the appointment:

"I am delighted to offer my congratulations to General Sir Nicholas Carter on his appointment as Chief of the Defence Staff, a post he will take up in June of this year when Air Marshal Sir Stuart Peach becomes Chairman of the Military Committee at NATO.

"General Carter has been an exceptional Chief of the General Staff, leading the Army at a time of rapid change, with troops deployed to deter Russian aggression and protect our NATO allies in the east.

"He has also overseen the delivery of vital training to help Iraqi Security Forces defeat Daesh.

"At this crucial time for defence, as we look to strengthen our Armed Forces in the face of intensifying global threats, I'm confident General Carter will be an outstanding Chief of the Defence Staff."

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

"General Carter is a superb choice as the next Chief of the Defence Staff and will bring vast experience to the role having served as Chief of the General Staff for nearly four years.

"In that time I have been impressed not only by the reforms he has carried out with the British Army but by the care he has demonstrated for the men and women under his command.

"It is also a testament to him that over his period of leadership the Army has become more reflective of the society it serves.

"I am confident General Carter will bring the same dynamism to his new role and I look forward to working with him."

Later, having attended the Higher Command and Staff Course in 2001, he took up the position of Colonel Army Personal Strategy at Headquarters Adjutant General.

General Carter assumed command of 6th United Kingdom Division in January 2009 and was responsible for the preparation and training of the Task Forces deploying on operations to Afghanistan.

He commanded the 20th Armoured Brigade in Iraq in 2004, and later, in 2009, the 6th Division in Afghanistan as Director General of Land Warfare.

He went on to become Commander of Land Forces, before being appointed as CGS.

In January, General Carter warned of the increasing threat posed by Russia, stating that Britain needed to maintain its capabilities in order to adequately keep up with its enemies- some of whom are positioned “on Europe’s doorstep”.