John Mead (British Army officer)
British general (born 1971)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lieutenant General John Robert Mead, CB, OBE (born 21 September 1971) is a British senior British Army officer. Since December 2024, he has served as deputy commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, a NATO formation.
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John Mead | |
|---|---|
Lieutenant General Mead in 2026 | |
| Born | 21 September 1971 Hillingdon, London, England |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Service number | 537468 |
| Unit | Royal Regiment of Artillery |
| Commands | 1st Artillery Brigade (2017–2019) |
Conflicts | |
Early life and education
Mead was born on 21 September 1971 in Hillingdon, London, England.[1][2] He was educated at Abbotsfield Comprehensive School, an all-boys school in Hillingdon, and at Dr Challoner's Grammar School, an all-boys selective school in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.[2]
Military career
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On 14 December 1991, having attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Mead was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Regiment of Artillery, British Army.[3] From 1991 to 1994, he served as a troop commander with 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, a commando trained unit that is part of 3 Commando Brigade.[2] He was promoted to lieutenant on 14 December 1993.[4] He undertook operational service in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan; he served five tours in the latter country during the War in Afghanistan.[5] He was promoted to captain on 14 December 1996,[6] and to major on 31 July 2002.[7] He attended staff college in Australia in 2004.[8]
He undertook regimental duties with 7th Parachute Regiment Royal Horse Artillery,[5] and was commanding officer of 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery from 2011 to 2014.[2] He was commander of the 1st Artillery Brigade from 2016 to 2018.[2][9]
On 28 August 2019, he was appointed chief of staff for the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, and promoted to major general.[10] On 6 December 2024, he was appointed deputy commander of the Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum, a NATO formation, in succession to Lieutenant General Luis Lanchares.[11]
Honours
In the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours, Mead was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).[12] In the 2024 New Year Honours, he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).[13]
In February 2015, he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2013 to 30 June 2014".[14]