General sir nicholas houghton biography sample

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Select Committee on International Relations and Defence Corrected oral evidence: The UK and Afghanistan Wednesday 21 October 2020 11 am Watch the meeting Members present: Baroness Anelay of St Johns (The Chair); Lord Alton of Liverpool; Baroness Blackstone; Baroness Fall; Lord Grocott; Lord Hannay of Chiswick; Baroness Helic; Lord Mendelsohn; Lord Purvis of Tweed; Baroness Rawlings; Lord Reid of Cardowan; Baroness Smith of Newnham.

He was the Director of Military Operations in the Ministry of Defence at the time of 9/11; at the outset of operations in Afghanistan; and during the foot and mouth crisis. another guided by four these palaces a future as valuable as their past.

I would like to use this opportunity to introduce myself as the new editor! Welcome to the latest edition of the Wrangthorn Parish Magazine. Q85 The Chair: This is our second session today on the UK and Afghanistan. Inspiration and encouragement motivate our students to reach new heights and to discover their potential. Now a parent, with Archie in year 8 and Harry in year 6, I certainly have a vested interest in ensuring that the OGA benefits Grovians both past and present.

I know Roger would also wish for me to prompt you about the work of the newly formed Woodhouse Grove Foundation and its focus on raising funds to support bursaries enabling pupils to continue to access the opportunities so many of us enjoyed at the Grove.

School Ties: 2003, Fall Issue

S T .MICHAELS U NIVERSITY S CHOOL Celebrating the Opening of the Crothall Centre for Humanities & the Arts Create the Future Fall 2003 St.

Michaels University School Create the Future! These deployments honed skills in force protection, reconnaissance, and inter-agency coordination under multinational mandates.

Service in Northern Ireland

Houghton's early operational experience in Northern Ireland included service as a company commander with the 1st Battalion, The Green Howards, during the Troubles, as part of multiple deployments following his commissioning into the regiment in 1974.^[1] He assumed command of the 1st Battalion, The Green Howards, in 1991, leading its deployment to Northern Ireland in 1993, where the unit operated in mechanised and air-mobile roles amid ongoing sectarian violence.^[6] For his leadership during this tour, Houghton was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of distinguished service.^[1]In 1997, Houghton took command of 39 Infantry Brigade, headquartered in Belfast, overseeing security operations across the province during a critical phase of the peace process leading to the Good Friday Agreement in April 1998.^[7] His brigade managed routine patrols, intelligence-led operations against paramilitary threats, and coordination with the Royal Ulster Constabulary amid fluctuating ceasefires and bombings, including the 1998 Omagh bombing that killed 29 civilians.^[8] This marked his seventh and final tour in Northern Ireland, culminating in 1999 with the withdrawal of routine foot patrols from Belfast streets as part of the normalization efforts under the Patten reforms for policing.^[8] Houghton received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on 14 April 2000 for gallant and distinguished services during this command.^[3] These roles underscored his operational expertise in counter-insurgency, contributing to the gradual drawdown of British Army presence from over 10,000 troops in the early 1990s to fewer than 5,000 by 2000.^[1]

Commands in Iraq and Afghanistan

Houghton was promoted to lieutenant general on 14 October 2005 and immediately deployed to Iraq as the Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General of the Multi-National Force–Iraq (MNF–I).^[1] In this role, he served as the principal liaison between British forces and the U.S.-led coalition command during a phase of intensified insurgency and emerging sectarian conflict, with responsibility for integrating UK operational contributions into broader coalition efforts.^[1] His tenure, spanning late 2005 to mid-2006, coincided with peak violence in Iraq, including the aftermath of the February 2006 al-Askari Mosque bombing that exacerbated Sunni-Shiite tensions.^[9]As Deputy Commanding General, Houghton focused on stabilizing Multi-National Division (South-East), where British troops were concentrated, and devised strategies to transition security responsibilities to Iraqi forces amid drawdown pressures.^[7] In March 2006, he publicly outlined a phased withdrawal plan for the approximately 8,000 British personnel in southern Iraq, targeting completion by mid-2008 contingent on improved local conditions, emphasizing training of Iraqi security units to fill the vacuum.^[10] This approach aligned with coalition-wide shifts toward provincial Iraqi control, though sustained insurgent attacks, including improvised explosive devices and militia activities, complicated timelines and resulted in ongoing casualties for UK forces.^[9]Upon returning to the UK in 2006, Houghton assumed the position of Chief of Joint Operations, directing all British overseas military commitments from the Permanent Joint Headquarters, including persistent engagements in Iraq's tail-end operations and the escalating mission in Afghanistan's Helmand Province.^[1] From 2006 to 2009, he managed the deployment of up to 9,500 UK troops in Afghanistan at peak, coordinating counter-insurgency tactics against Taliban strongholds, logistics for bases like Camp Bastion, and integration with NATO's International Security Assistance Force amid high attrition rates from roadside bombs and ambushes.^[8] His oversight ensured synchronized UK air, ground, and special forces contributions, though resource strains from concurrent theaters highlighted limitations in sustaining prolonged high-intensity commitments.^[9]

Senior leadership roles

Houghton's ascent to senior leadership began with his appointment as Director of Military Operations at the Ministry of Defence in 2001, where he directed the UK's initial military responses to the 9/11 attacks, including the deployment of special forces to Afghanistan and operations in Sierra Leone.^[1] From July 2002 to April 2004, he served as Chief of Staff to the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), coordinating multinational planning and exercises for NATO's high-readiness force.^[1]Promoted to Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) in May 2004, Houghton oversaw global operational commitments until October 2005, when he was promoted to lieutenant general and deployed to Iraq as Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General of the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I), advising on counter-insurgency strategy during a period of intensified sectarian violence.^[1] In this role until March 2006, he contributed to the transition of security responsibilities amid coalition drawdowns.^[1]Returning to the UK, Houghton assumed the position of Chief of Joint Operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters in April 2006, commanding all British operational deployments, including the expansion of forces in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and the phased withdrawal from Iraq.^[1] He held this post until May 2009, managing concurrent high-intensity campaigns that strained resources and required integration of joint service capabilities.^[1]In May 2009, Houghton was appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, the second-highest military position, where he played a pivotal role in executing the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), which mandated significant force reductions, and served as the military lead on Lord Levene's Defence Reform initiative to restructure the Ministry of Defence for efficiency.^[1] During his tenure until July 2013, he deputized for the Chief of the Defence Staff on strategic matters and advanced to Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in 2011.^[1]

Tenure as Chief of the Defence Staff

Appointment and initial priorities

General Sir Nicholas Houghton was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) on 18 July 2013, succeeding General Sir David Richards, whose tenure had begun in 2010.^[11][12] The appointment was announced by the Ministry of Defence on 19 March 2013, following Houghton's service as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff from 2010 to 2013, during which he played a key role in executing the efficiencies mandated by the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR).^[11][13]In his initial months as CDS, Houghton emphasized the need for the Armed Forces to maintain high readiness for unforeseen contingencies, warning that personnel and equipment must be capable of surging into new operations from a "standing start" without extended preparation periods.^[14] This priority reflected ongoing transitions, including the phased withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan—where combat operations had concluded in 2011 but support roles persisted until late 2014—and the imperative to preserve combat effectiveness amid post-SDSR budget constraints that had reduced regular Army strength from 102,000 in 2010 to a target of 82,000 by 2015.^[14][11]Houghton also focused on internal efficiencies and structural reforms inherited from the 2010 SDSR, such as integrating reserve forces more deeply into regular operations to offset personnel cuts, while advocating for sustained investment in equipment programs to avoid a "hollow force" vulnerable to rapid deployment demands.^[15][13] His early assessments highlighted risks from further austerity measures, prioritizing the balance between fiscal restraint and credible deterrence in an era of asymmetric threats and fiscal pressures following the 2008 financial crisis.^[15]

Strategic operations and policy inputs

Houghton's tenure as Chief of the Defence Staff coincided with the initiation of Operation Shader in August 2014, the United Kingdom's air campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Iraq, prompted by a formal request from the Iraqi government.

He was central to implementing the outcomes of the 2010 SDSR and was the sole military member of Lord Levene’s Defence Reform team. Ellie Kildunne (11-16) England Womens Rugby 2017 Made in Yorkshire - a product of GROVE SPORT Photographer - Bob Bradford / Camerasport The Newsletter of the Old Grovian Association Issue 28 Winter 2017 The main OGA objectives are: • To promote mutual acquaintances with former pupils and drive their interest in the School • Assist the academic and recreational life of the School • Further the interests and reputation of the School I have incredibly fond memories of my time at the Grove and, as a boarder, those memories are so much more than classrooms and lessons.

I believe it started its sessions yesterday, and it is being held aboard the carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. He became Chief of Joint Operations (CJO) in April 2006 at the time of the commitment of UK Forces to southern Afghanistan and, subsequently, during the extraction of UK forces from southern Iraq. Publication The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House.

2017-18 Annual Review

Historic Royal Places – Spines Format A4 Portrait Spine Width 35mm Spine Height 297mm HRP Text 20pt (Tracked at +40) Palace Text 30pt (Tracked at -10) Icon 20mm Wide (0.5pt/0.25pt) Annual Review 2017/18 2 Contents 06 Welcome to another chapter in our story 07 Our work is guided by four principles 08 Chairman and Chief Executive: Introduction and reflection 10 Guardianship 16 Showmanship 24 Discovery 32 A Royal Year 36 Independence 42 Money matters 43 Visitor trends 44 Summarised financial statements 46 Trustees and Directors 48 Supporters 50 Acknowledgments Clockwise from top left: The White Tower, Tower of London; the West Front, Hampton Court Palace; the East Front, Kensington Palace; the South Front, Hillsborough Castle; Kew Palace; Banqueting House.

For thinks? He was appointed KCB for his time as CJO.

General Houghton became VCDS in May 2009. If you have tethered ’round providing any comments or suggestions regarding this an outstanding learning publication, please contact Jenus Friesen at environment – SMUS (250) 370-6169 or e-mail: [email protected].

These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk.

Xaipete 2019 Final

Winter 2018 The Newsletter of the Old Grovian Association Issue 29 Winter 2018 myself and Michelle Davison and going forward we will look to roll it out as an all-encompassing business event to help further this exciting format.

27 years later, the buildings may have changed, but there is a definite air of familiarity about the place and a surprising number of my old teachers working alongside Old Grovians that clearly couldn’t bear to leave the place. I welcome Lord Houghton of Richmond, the former Chief of the Defence Staff, and Lord Sedwill, former Cabinet Secretary, former National Security Adviser, former ambassador to Afghanistan and former NATO senior civilian representative in Afghanistan.