David Wilson (Royal Marines officer)
Encyclopedia
Major-General David Wilson CB
CBE
(born 1949) is a Royal Marines
officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines
.
where he was mentioned in despatches. He commanded the Special Boat Service
as well as being Commanding Officer of 45 Commando
from 1993 and Commander of 3 Commando Brigade
from 1998. From December 1999 he was Chief of Staff at NATO Joint Headquarters North. He was later deployed to Kosovo
where he became co-chairman of the Kosovo Security Committee. He was appointed Senior British Representative to CENTCOM
at Tampa, Florida
in October 2002 (in which role he was involved in planning for the Iraq War) and became Commandant General Royal Marines
in February 2004 before retiring later that year.
In retirement he became Director of a United Nations
programme engaged in disarming warlords and disbanding illegal armed groups in Afghanistan
.
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1949) is a Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
officer who became Commandant General Royal Marines
Commandant General Royal Marines
The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1945...
.
Military career
Wilson joined the Royal Marines in 1969 and went on to serve in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
where he was mentioned in despatches. He commanded the Special Boat Service
Special Boat Service
The Special Boat Service is the special forces unit of the British Royal Navy. Together with the Special Air Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment and the Special Forces Support Group they form the United Kingdom Special Forces and come under joint control of the same Director Special...
as well as being Commanding Officer of 45 Commando
45 Commando
45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
from 1993 and Commander of 3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
from 1998. From December 1999 he was Chief of Staff at NATO Joint Headquarters North. He was later deployed to Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
where he became co-chairman of the Kosovo Security Committee. He was appointed Senior British Representative to CENTCOM
United States Central Command
The United States Central Command is a theater-level Unified Combatant Command unit of the U.S. armed forces, established in 1983 under the operational control of the U.S. Secretary of Defense...
at Tampa, Florida
Tampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
in October 2002 (in which role he was involved in planning for the Iraq War) and became Commandant General Royal Marines
Commandant General Royal Marines
The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Royal Marines. The title has existed since 1945...
in February 2004 before retiring later that year.
In retirement he became Director of a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
programme engaged in disarming warlords and disbanding illegal armed groups in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.