John Drewienkiewicz
Encyclopedia
Major General
Karol John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG is a retired British Army
officer.
, an independent boarding school in southern Lincolnshire
, alongside Mike Jackson
, with whom he later served in Kosovo
and who went on to become the professional head of the British Army.
in 1966 and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1968, captain
in 1972, major in 1978, lieutenant colonel in 1984 and colonel in 1988. Promotion to brigadier
came on 31 December 1989, with seniority from 30 June 1989.
Drewienkiewicz attained general officer rank with promotion to acting major general
on 15 December 1994 and was appointed Engineer in Chief (Army). He was granted the substantive rank of major general on 25 April 1995 with seniority from 1 July 1994. He was appointed to the NATO role of Director of Support at Joint Force Command Brunssum on 28 July 1995 and to the honorary role of Colonel Commandant
, Corps of Royal Engineers in 1997. In 1998 he served as military assistant
to the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
and was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath. Drewienkiewicz went on to serve as second in command, under William Walker
, of the Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM), a group of unarmed observers sent into Kosovo in 1999 to oversee the UN-mandated reduction in arms under Slobodan Milošević
's regime. Drewienkiewicz was appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) for his role in the KVM.
Drewienkiewicz retired from active service on 31 March 2001 and was appointed to the Reserve of Officers. He was succeeded as Colonel Commandant, Corps of Royal Engineers by then-Major General Mark Mans
.
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
Karol John Drewienkiewicz CB CMG is a retired British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
officer.
Early life and education
Drewienkiewicz attended Stamford SchoolStamford School
Stamford School is an English independent school situated in the market town of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. It has been a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference since 1920.-History:...
, an independent boarding school in southern Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
, alongside Mike Jackson
Mike Jackson
General Sir Michael David "Mike" Jackson, is a retired British Army officer and one of its most high-profile generals since the Second World War. Originally commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1963, he transferred to the Parachute Regiment, with whom he served two of his three tours of...
, with whom he later served in 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...
and who went on to become the professional head of the British Army.
Army career
Drewienkiewicz was commissioned into the Royal EngineersRoyal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
in 1966 and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 1968, captain
Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...
in 1972, major in 1978, lieutenant colonel in 1984 and colonel in 1988. Promotion to brigadier
Brigadier (United Kingdom)
Brigadier is a senior rank in the British Army and the Royal Marines.Brigadier is the superior rank to Colonel, but subordinate to Major-General....
came on 31 December 1989, with seniority from 30 June 1989.
Drewienkiewicz attained general officer rank with promotion to acting major general
Major-General (United Kingdom)
Major general is a senior rank in the British Army. Since 1996 the highest position within the Royal Marines is the Commandant General Royal Marines who holds the rank of major general...
on 15 December 1994 and was appointed Engineer in Chief (Army). He was granted the substantive rank of major general on 25 April 1995 with seniority from 1 July 1994. He was appointed to the NATO role of Director of Support at Joint Force Command Brunssum on 28 July 1995 and to the honorary role of Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant
Colonel Commandant is a military title used in the armed forces of some English-speaking countries. The title, not a substantive rank, could denote a senior colonel with authority over fellow colonels...
, Corps of Royal Engineers in 1997. In 1998 he served as military assistant
Military Assistant
A Military Assistant, in the British Armed Forces and many of those derived from them, is an officer appointed to the personal office of a general officer. They are similar to aides-de-camp but generally have a more overtly administrative role....
to the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina
The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, was created in 1995 immediately after the Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of this agreement. The High Representative and the OHR represent the...
and was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath. Drewienkiewicz went on to serve as second in command, under William Walker
William Walker (diplomat)
William Graham Walker is a veteran United States Foreign Service diplomat who served as the US ambassador to El Salvador and as the head of the Kosovo Verification Mission.-Political career:...
, of the Kosovo Verification Mission (KVM), a group of unarmed observers sent into Kosovo in 1999 to oversee the UN-mandated reduction in arms under Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević
Slobodan Milošević was President of Serbia and Yugoslavia. He served as the President of Socialist Republic of Serbia and Republic of Serbia from 1989 until 1997 in three terms and as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000...
's regime. Drewienkiewicz was appointed Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (CMG) for his role in the KVM.
Drewienkiewicz retired from active service on 31 March 2001 and was appointed to the Reserve of Officers. He was succeeded as Colonel Commandant, Corps of Royal Engineers by then-Major General Mark Mans
Mark Mans
Lieutenant-General Mark Francis Noel Mans CBE QCVS is the current Adjutant-General to the Forces of the United Kingdom.-Career:Educated at Berkhamsted School, Mark Mans was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1974. During the Gulf War he was Officer Commanding 37 Field Support Squadron. He was...
.