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Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. General Sir Patrick Nicholas Yardley Monrad Sanders, KCB , CBE , DSO (born 6 April 1966) is a senior British Army officer who served as Chief of the General Staff from 13 June 2022 until 15 June 2024.
- Biography
- Chief of the General Staff
- Responsibilities
- Previous roles in government
Born in Tidworth Garrison military hospital and raised in Norway, Gibraltar and Iraq, General Sir Patrick Sanders was commissioned in 1986 and spent his early service as an Infantry Officer in The Royal Green Jackets in Germany, Norway and the UK. He has commanded on operations in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
His staff appointments have been in operational and strategic roles. He has been a member of the Directing Staff at the Joint Staff College, Pol/Mil adviser for the Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq in 2003-4, Colonel Army Strategy, Chief of Defence Staff’s Liaison Officer to the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations) in the MOD.
His higher command appointments were 20 Armoured Brigade, the 3rd (UK) Division and the Field Army. He was promoted to General in May 2019 and commanded UK Strategic Command until May 2022. He became Chief of the General Staff in June 2022.
He is Colonel Commandant of The Rifles and the Honourable Artillery Company, and President of the Armed Forces Winter Sports Association. He speaks French and Norwegian, colloquial Spanish and can tell when he is being insulted in Arabic, Pashtun, Dari, Albanian and Serbo-Croat. General Sanders enjoys cycling, all forms of skiing, shooting and whisky.
The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is the professional head of the Army, with responsibility for developing and generating military capability from an integrated Army (Regular and Reserve) and for maintaining the fighting effectiveness, efficiency and morale of the Service.
The CGS reports to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) and, as a Service COS, has a right of direct access to the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister. The CGS is a member of the Defence Council and the Army Board, the Armed Forces Committee, the Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Senior Appointments Committee.
The Chief of the General Staff:
•maintains the institutional health of the Army by exercising Full Command responsibility for all Army personnel
•ensures the efficient and effective governance of the service
•chairs the Executive Committee of the Army Board and the Army Command Group
•contributes to the conduct of defence higher level business, with a particular responsibility for providing specialist advice on Army matters
•develops future Army capability within the context of Defence strategic direction and resource allocation
Jun 29, 2023 · Head of the British army expected to step down next year after unusually short time at the helm. General Sir Patrick Sanders only became chief of the general staff last June.
In December 2023 it was announced that General Walker was to be the new Chief of the General Staff, succeeding General Sir Patrick Sanders. He was made a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in 2023, and a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order in 2010. General Walker is the President of the Honourable Artillery ...
Jun 19, 2022 · By George Bowden. BBC News. The new head of the British Army has issued a rallying cry to troops - telling them they need to be ready to face Russia on the battlefield. Gen Sir Patrick Sanders ...
Jul 1, 2023 · The exit of General Sir Patrick Sanders has raised concerns about deeper underlying issues in the UK’s armed forces, writes Kim Sengupta. T he withdrawal from Basra Palace in September 2007 ...
Jun 28, 2022 · The Chief of the General Staff General Sir Patrick Sanders' speech at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference 2022. This was published under the 2019 to 2022 Johnson Conservative government. I stand here ...
