Sir Mark Carleton-Smith | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Carleton-Smith in 2018 | |
| Born | (1964-02-09)9 February 1964 (age 61) Bielefeld, West Germany |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1982–2022 |
| Rank | General |
| Service number | 515762 |
| Unit | Irish Guards |
| Commands |
|
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Children | 2 |
GeneralSir Mark Alexander Popham Carleton-Smith,GCB, CBE, DL (born 9 February 1964) is a seniorBritish Army officer who served asChief of the General Staff from June 2018 to June 2022.[1] He previously served asDirector Special Forces and commanded22 Special Air Service Regiment.[2]
Born on 9 February 1964 atBielefeld,West Germany,[3] to Major General Sir Michael Carleton-Smith,[4] he began his education atCheltenham CollegeJunior School,[5] before attendingEton College, an all-boyspublic school.[6] In 1982, he went toHatfield College, Durham, to pursue an Army-sponsored degree in Politics and Modern History.[4][7] He graduated fromDurham University with alower second classBachelor of Artsdegree in 1985.[7]
Carleton-Smith wascommissioned into theIrish Guards on 3 September 1982,[8] before going up toDurham, graduating asBA. He was promoted tolieutenant on 6 September 1985 (with seniority from 9 April),[9] then tocaptain on 9 April 1989,[10] and then tomajor on 30 September 1995.[11] After operational service inNorthern Ireland duringthe Troubles, he was deployed to theGulf War in 1991,[12] and then saw active service as anSASsquadroncommander inBosnia later in the 1990s.[13]
Carleton-Smith becameChief of Staff of19 Mechanized Brigade in 1999 and served asChief of Staff HQ Multi-National Brigade Centre during theKosovo War later that year.[12] In recognition of his military service inKosovo, he was appointed aMember of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the2000 New Year Honours,[14] and then awarded theQueen's Commendation for Valuable Service on 3 November 2000.[15]
Promoted tolieutenant colonel on 30 June 2001,[16] Carleton-Smith became Military Assistant to theCommander-in-Chief, Land Forces,[12] becomingCommanding Officer of22 Special Air Service Regiment in 2002. After serving during the2003 invasion of Iraq and also during operations inAfghanistan,[13] he was advancedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on 23 April 2004.[17] Promotedcolonel on 30 June 2005,[18] he became Deputy Director Policy Planning at theMinistry of Defence at that time.[12]
Promoted tobrigadier on 31 December 2006 with seniority from 30 June 2006,[19] Carleton-Smith became commander of16 Air Assault Brigade that year and was deployed to Afghanistan as commander ofTask Force Helmand and commander of British Forces there in April 2008.[20] In August 2008 he ledOperation Eagle's Summit, which involved a daring foray intoTaliban territory.[21] He was promotedCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services inAfghanistan on 6 March 2009.[22]
Carleton-Smith became Director of Army Plans and Resources at theMinistry of Defence in January 2009 and, following promotion tomajor general on 20 February 2012,[23] he becameDirector Special Forces.[24] In July 2022, the BBC published a report alleging evidence that "SAS operatives in Afghanistan repeatedly killed detainees and unarmed men in suspicious circumstances," while Carleton-Smith, then Director Special Forces, "failed to pass on evidence to [the] murder inquiry"[25] which was being conducted by theRoyal Military Police.[26]
Appointed Director of Strategy at theArmy Headquarters in March 2015,[27] he becameDeputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) on 18 April 2016 being promoted tolieutenant general with effect from the same date.[28] On 11 June 2018 he was further promoted to the rank ofgeneral, succeedingGeneralSir Nick Carter asChief of the General Staff,[29][30] being appointedKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the2019 New Year Honours.[31] Succeeded as Chief of the General Staff by GeneralSir Patrick Sanders in June 2022,[1] Carleton-Smith was promotedKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the2023 Birthday Honours.[32]
Carleton-Smith served as Regimental Lieutenant Colonel of the Irish Guards from 18 March 2012[33] for ten years,[34] and as Honorary Colonel ofOxford University Officers Training Corps between February 2017 and June 2022.[35][36]
In 1991, Carleton-Smith married Catherine Nalder. They have a son and a daughter.[4] He is a member ofPratt's, thePilgrims Society and theChelsea Arts Clubs.[4]
Carleton-Smith was appointed adeputy lieutenant ofHerefordshire on 27 September 2023.[37]
Source:[38]
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| Ribbon | Description | Notes |
| Knight Grand Cross of theMost Honourable Order of the Bath (GCB) | Appointed in 2023[32] |
| Commander of theMost Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) | Appointed into the Order in 2009[22] |
| General Service Medal (1962) | |
| Gulf Medal | |
| UN Medal for Former Yugoslavia | |
| NATO Former Republic of Yugoslavia Medal | |
| NATO Kosovo Medal |  Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service[39] |
| Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan | |
| Iraq Medal | |
| Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal | |
| Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal | |
| Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal | |
| Accumulated Campaign Service Medal | |
| Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct (Military) | With 2 Bars |
| Officer of the Legion of Merit |
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Director Special Forces 2012–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) 2016–2018 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief of the General Staff 2018–2022 | Succeeded by |
