Sir Tim Radford | |
|---|---|
 Radford in uniform, 2020 | |
| Born | (1963-02-23)23 February 1963 (age 62) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Years of service | 1984–2024 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Allied Rapid Reaction Corps Force Troops Command Task Force Helmand 19 Light Brigade |
| Battles / wars | The Troubles Iraq War War in Afghanistan Sierra Leone Civil War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) |
| Alma mater | St Chad's College, Durham (BA) King's College London (MA) |
GeneralSir Timothy Buchan Radford,KCB, DSO, OBE (born 23 February 1963) is a retiredBritish Army officer who served as DeputySupreme Allied Commander Europe, CommanderAllied Rapid Reaction Corps and Deputy CommanderResolute Support Mission.
Educated atMethodist College Belfast,Rugby School,Durham University (BA, Politics) andKing's College London (MA, War Studies), Radford was commissioned intoThe Light Infantry on 31 August 1984.[1] He spent four years in command appointments before joining the School of Infantry as an instructor in 1989.[2] He attendedStaff College, Camberley in 1995.[2] As alieutenant colonel, he developed the British Army’s leadership doctrine at theRoyal Military Academy Sandhurst and was the founding commanding officer of theSpecial Reconnaissance Regiment.[3]
On promotion tocolonel in 2005 he was appointed as Assistant Director of Counter Terrorism and United Kingdom Operations at theMinistry of Defence.[4] He went on to command19 Light Brigade in 2008, during which he deployed as Commander ofTask Force Helmand between April and October of that year and led the major offensiveOperation Panther's Claw in Summer 2009.[5] Before Panther's Claw, Radford clashed with Lieutenant ColonelRupert Thorneloe, who argued that it was flawed in concept and that there were not enough British forces to hold the ground.[6]
In January 2010 Radford was made Head of Overseas Operations in the Ministry of Defence and,[4] on promotion tomajor general in November 2011, he assumed the position of Chief of Staff of theISAF Joint Command inKabul, Afghanistan.[7] He took over as General OfficerForce Troops Command in February 2013,[7] and in this capacity he oversaw the operation to provide medical assistance for theEbola outbreak in West Africa in 2014.[8] On promotion tolieutenant general in July 2015 he was selected as Deputy CommanderResolute Support Mission,[2] and then as CommanderAllied Rapid Reaction Corps in July 2016.[9] He was promoted togeneral and assumed the appointment of DeputySupreme Allied Commander Europe on 2 April 2020.[10][11] His term as DSACEUR ended in July 2023, and he retired from the army on 11 January 2024.[12][13]
AuthorToby Harnden has described Radford, during his time as a Brigade commander in Afghanistan, as "a softly spoken, cerebral officer, [with] piercing blue eyes and an understated manner honed during years of operations in Northern Ireland and Iraq...a listener rather than a talker. His thoughtful, considered approach, [was] underpinned by great compassion "[5]
Radford was appointedMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in April 1994,[14] andOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the2007 New Year Honours.[15] He was awarded theDistinguished Service Order (DSO) in March 2010.[16] Radford was appointedCompanion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2016 Birthday Honours.[17] On 23 November 2018, Radford was awarded the USLegion of Merit with the degree of officer.[18] He was appointedKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the2021 Birthday Honours.[19]
As a Lieutenant Colonel, he developed the Army's leadership doctrine at Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, before forming and commanding the Special Reconnaissance Regiment.
Media related toTim Radford at Wikimedia Commons
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | General Officer Commanding, Force Troops Command 2013–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy CommanderResolute Support Mission 2015–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander Allied Rapid Reaction Corps 2016–2019 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe 2020–2023 | Succeeded by |