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Higher Command

The British Army is headed by the Chief of the General Staff and his General

Staff who are based in the Ministry of Defence.

The Commander-in-Chief Land Forces is based in Headquarters Land Forces and

reports directly to the Chief of the General Staffto deliver forces that are properly

trained and equipped to sustain current operations.

The Adjutant General is also based in Headquarters Land Forces and reports directly

to the Chief of the General Staffon the personnel policies that enable the Army to

carry out its duties.

Both the Commander-in-Chief Land Forces and the Adjutant General are supported

by the remainder of the General Staff.

Everyone in the Army is a part of 'the chain of command' - the phrase used for the

whole Army structure from the Chief of the General Staff downwards.

Command Structure

The Army command structure is hierachical with Commander Field Army and

Commander Regional Forces controlling groupings of units based around Divisions

and their Brigades.

Within these Brigades are Major Units, regiment or battalion-sized and Minor

Units, smaller company sized sub-units or platoons.

All units within the service are either Regular (full-time) or Territorial Army (part-

time), or a combination with sub-units of each type.

Executive Committee of The Army

Board

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The Executive Committee of the Army Board assists the Chief of the General Staff in

discharging his executive responsibilities for the delivery of coherent military

capability, the current and future fighting effectiveness and efficiency of the Army

and the morale of the Service.

It also supports the Chief of the General Staff as the Budget Holder to produce the

Army's Plan and oversee in-year performance management, risk, budgetary, resource

and financial assurance issues. It will take account of concerns raised by the Adjutant

General and the Non Executive Director.

Headquarters Land Forces

Headquarters Land Forces is located in Wiltshire across two sites at Wilton and

Upavon and is under the command of Commander in Chief Land Forces. It has

two main subdivisions, Field Army and Regional Forces.

Commander Field Army commands 1st (Armoured) Division, 3rd (Mechanised)

Division, 6th Division, Theatre Troops, and Director General Training Support.

Commander Regional Forces commands 2nd Division, 4th Division, 5th Division,Army Recruiting & Training Division, London District and United Kingdom Support

Command (Germany).

How is the Army organised?

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Joint Helicopter Command

The Joint Helicopter Command (JHC) was formed in 1999 to bring together

under one command the battlefield helicopters of the Royal Navy, Army and

Royal Air Force. The JHC operates over 250 aircraft including the Sea King and

Lynx helicopters of the Royal Navy's Commando Helicopter Force; the Chinook,

Puma and Merlin helicopters of the Royal Air Force and the Apache, Lynx,

Gazelle and Bell 212 helicopters and the Islander/Defender fixed wing aircraft of

the Army Air Corps (AAC).

The principle Army formation under command is 16 Air Assault Brigade, the newestand largest brigade in the British Army. Formed in 1999 and based in Colchester, the

brigade has already served in Macedonia, Iraq and Afghanistan. 16 Brigade is the

Army's primary rapid reaction formation, equipped and manned so that it can be used

throughout the spectrum of conflict from humanitarian tasks, such as disaster relief at

one extreme, through to high intensity warfighting at the other.

The JHC includes all front-line elements of the Army Air Corps. 1 and 5 Regiments

AAC are based in Germany and Northern Ireland respectively. 3, 4 and 9 Regiments

AAC are part of 16 Air Assault Brigade. 6 and 7 Regiments AAC are

Territorial regiments; 7 Regiment AAC (V) operates within the United Kingdom from

its base at Netheravon, Wiltshire and the newly created 6 Regiment AAC (V) is basedat Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. In addition to the regiments, the Army Air Corps

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have a number of independent flights under the command of JHC; these are based in

Canada, Belize and Brunei.

Overall the JHC employs over 15,000 personnel, some 8,000 of whom are in 16 Air

Assault Brigade. This figure includes over 900 volunteer reserves from the Territorial

Army and Royal Auxiliary Air Force, and 380 MOD civilian staff.

The Headquarters of the Joint Helicopter Command is co-located with the

Headquarters of the Commander-in-Chief Land Forces at Wilton near Salisbury.

General Sir Richard Dannatt KCB CBE

MC ADC Gen

General Sir Richard Dannatt KCB CBE MC ADC Gen

General Sir Richard Dannatt took over as Commander-in-Chief Land

Command in March 2005 and assumed the appointment of Chief of the General

Staff in August 2006.

The Chief of the General Staff's role is to maintain and enhance the morale and

fighting effectiveness of the Army to achieve current and future operational success

now and in the future.

General Dannatt was born on 23rd December 1950 and was educated at Felsted

School and St Lawrence College. He and his wife, Philippa, have their permanent

home in Norfolk and are both graduates of Durham University. Married in 1977, they

have three sons and a daughter. One of their sons is currently serving with The

Grenadier Guards. In addition to his current appointment, General Dannatt is Colonel

Commandant of the Army Air Corps. He is President of the Army Rifle Association,

the Army Rugby Union, the Army Winter Sports Association, the Soldiers' andAirmens' Scripture Readers Association, and a Vice President of the Armed Forces'

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Christian Union. He enjoys all sports, in particular cricket, rugby, tennis, skiing,

shooting and fishing.

General Sir David Richards KCB CBE

DSO 27 April 2008

General Sir David Richards

General Sir David Richards KCB CBE DSO

Commander-in-Chief Land Forces (CINCLAND) is responsible for delivering forces

that are properly trained and equipped to sustain current operations in Iraq,

Afghanistan and Kosovo. At the same time, he continues to support standingcommitments such as the Falkland Islands and Cyprus. He also maintains contingent

forces, such as the land component of the Joint Rapid Reaction Force, to cater for the

unexpected.

General Sir David Richards has a home in Wiltshire, is married and has 2 daughters .

He is Honorary Colonel of 3rd Regiment RHA, Colonel Commandant Royal Artillery,

Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas, Chairman Gurkha Welfare Trust and

President of Army Tennis. A keen student of military history, he is also a qualified

offshore yachtsman - he is Admiral of the Army Sailing Association and of the British

Kiel Yacht Club - a Governor of his old School, an occasional horseman and an

unskilled but hard working gardener. He became Commander in Chief LandCommand on 1 February 2008.

His operational awards include a Mention in Despatches, Commander of the Order of

the British Empire, the Distinguished Service Order and Knight Commander of the

Order of the Bath.

Lieutenant General W R Rollo CBE

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Lt Gen W R Rollo CBE Late RHG/D

1977 commissioned into the Blues and Royals.

A short but intense period as a tank and rifle troop leader in Germany, Canada

and Northern Ireland was followed by a series of regimental appointments,interspersed with 8 months running the Infantry Platoon Commanders' Tactics

Course at the Zimbabwe Military Academy and a short tour in the Ministry of

Defence (MOD),

1987 attended the Army Staff Course at Camberley.

Following Staff College, Lieutenant General Rollo returned to Germany to

command an armoured squadron,.

1989 MA to the Assistant Chief of the General Staff.

1991 Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was posted back to the Staff

College as an instructor. From there he was selected to attend the SAMS at

Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

1994 Took command of the Household Cavalry Regiment, completing a tourin Bosnia.

Followed by Higher Command and Staff College and 18 months in J5 in the

Permanent Joint Headquarters.

1998 Command of 4 Armd Bde, deploying to Macedonia in February 1999

and thence to Kosovo.

2000 Awarded the CBE for his command during that period and returned to

UK to become Director Royal Armoured Corps.

2002 Director Military Operations in the Ministry of Defence during the

period of planning for operations in Iraq.

2003 Deputy Adjutant General.

2004 Command of Multi National Division (South East) in Basra.

2005 Assistant Chief of the General Staff.

2007 Deputy Commanding General Multi National Force - Iraq/ Senior British

Military Representative to Iraq.

2008 Assumed the appointment of Adjutant General.

He is married, with 3 children, and is a keen small boat sailor and ski-mountaineer.