Gwyn Jenkins
Gwyn Jenkins | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Jenkins in 2022 | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | Royal Marines |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Commandant General Royal Marines Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff 3 Commando Brigade Special Boat Service |
| Battles / wars | The Troubles International Force East Timor War in Afghanistan Iraq War |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
General Gwyn Jenkins, CB, OBE, ADC is a senior Royal Marines officer, serving as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff since August 2022. He was concurrently appointed Commandant General Royal Marines in November 2022.
Early life and education
Jenkins was educated at Malmesbury School.[1] He graduated from the Military College Shrivenham in 2004, where he completed a master's degree in Defence Studies.[2]
Military career
Jenkins was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1990. He spent time as a junior officer in the Commando Logistics Regiment and on operations in Northern Ireland with 42 Commando.[3] He became commanding officer of the Special Boat Service (SBS) in 2009.[4]
He was promoted to colonel from acting colonel on 1 July 2011,[5] and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. In 2011, whilst serving as the Commanding Officer of the SBS, Jenkins received a written report stating that members of the SAS operating in Afghanistan had intentionally killed handcuffed Afgans whom they had detained. He was legally required to pass the report to the Royal Military Police as it was an allegation that British forces had committing war crimes. However instead he placed it in a classified dossier and locked it in a safe where only a small number of senior special forces officers had access to it.[6]
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2011 to 31 March 2012".[7]
In 2012, he was appointed military assistant to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.[8] On 1 July 2015, he was promoted from acting brigadier to brigadier.[9] He went on to become Deputy National Security Adviser for Conflict, Stability and Defence in 2016,[10] commander 3 Commando Brigade in 2017,[11] and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy) in 2019.[12] Jenkins was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2021 New Year Honours.[13]
As a general
Jenkins was promoted to general on 30 August 2022, skipping the rank of lieutenant general,[14] and took up the post of Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.[15] He is the first four-star Royal Marine general after Sir Gordon Messenger since 2016 and only the second since 1977. At the same time he was made an Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Queen.[14] Jenkins also became Commandant General Royal Marines on 25 November, succeeding Lieutenant General Robert Magowan. Jenkins became the first full general to serve as Commandant General since the 1970s.[16][17]
References
- ^ "Students inspired by visit of Major General Jenkins". Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "General Gwyn Jenkins CB OBE ADC". HM Government. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "General Gwyn Jenkins CB OBE ADC". HM Government. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ Romaniello, Federica (27 July 2022). "New Vice Chief of the Defence Staff appointed". Forces Network. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ "No. 59860". The London Gazette (Supplement). 26 July 2011. p. 14180.
- ^ "Top general locked away evidence of SAS executions". BBC. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ "No. 60283". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 September 2012. p. 18623.
- ^ "Letter to Mr Don Kentish" (PDF). 550 Squadron Association. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "No. 61339". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 September 2015. p. 16198.
- ^ "Cabinet Office staff and salary data: senior posts as at 31 March 2016 – GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 October 2016.
- ^ "Senior Royal Navy Appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Press Reader Article". Daily Telegraphy. Retrieved 9 March 2019 – via PressReader.
- ^ "No. 63218". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2020. p. N2.
- ^ a b "No. 63818". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 September 2022. p. 17754.
- ^ "Major General Gwyn Jenkins appointed new Vice Chief of the Defence Staff". Ministry of Defence. 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
- ^ "Royal Marines appoint new Commandant General". forces.net. 25 November 2022. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
- ^ "No. 63889". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 November 2022. p. 22839.
