The British Defence Staff – US, which was previously known as British Joint Staff Mission and British Defence Staff (Washington), is the home of the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

in the

United States of America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...

and its purpose is to serve the interests of

His Majesty's Government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

in the USA. The British Defence Staff – US is led by the

Defence Attaché Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...

who is British Ambassador's senior adviser on defence issues, and has responsibility over 750 military and civilian Ministry of Defence personnel located both within the Embassy and in 30 states across the USA.

Recent defence attachés

Attachés have included: *1941-1944 Field Marshal Sir John Dill *1945-1947 Field Marshal Lord Wilson *1948-1950 Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Medhurst *1950-1951 Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Tedder *1951-1953 Air Chief Marshal Sir William Elliot *1953-1956 General Sir John Whiteley *1956-1959 Admiral Sir Michael Denny *1959-1962 Air Chief Marshal Sir George Mills *1962-1965 General Sir Michael Alston-Roberts-West *1965-1967 Admiral Sir Nigel Henderson *1967-1970 Lieutenant-General Sir George Lea *1970-1973 Air Marshal Sir John Lapsley *1973-1975 Vice-Admiral Sir Ian Easton *1975-1978 Lieutenant-General Sir Rollo Pain *1978-1981 Air Marshal Sir Roy Austen-Smith *1981-1984 Major-General

Anthony Boam Major-General Thomas Anthony Boam CB CBE (born 14 February 1932) was Commander of British Forces in Hong Kong. Military career Educated at Bradfield College and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Boam was commissioned into the Scots Guards ...

*1984-1988 Air Vice-Marshal

Ronald Dick Air Vice Marshal Ronald Dick (18 October 1931 – 25 March 2008) was a Royal Air Force officer who served as Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. from 1984 to 1988. RAF career Educated at Beckenham and Penge County Grammar S ...

*1988-1991 Major-General

Edwin Beckett Major General Edwin Horace Alexander Beckett CB, MBE (16 May 1937 – 15 November 2018) was a British Army officer who became Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. Military career Educated at the Henry Fanshawe School and ...

*1991-1994 Air Vice-Marshal

Peter Dodworth Air Vice Marshal Peter Dodworth (born 12 September 1940) is a former Royal Air Force officer who served as Head of the British Defence Staff in Washington, D.C. from 1991 to 1994. RAF career Educated at King George V Grammar School and the U ...

*1994-1997 Rear-Admiral

Anthony Blackburn Vice-Admiral Sir David Anthony James 'Tom' Blackburn (born 18 January 1945) is a former British Royal Navy officer who served as Master of the Household between 2000 and 2005. Naval career Blackburn was appointed to his first command, the Minesw ...

*1997-2000 Major-General

Charles Vyvyan Major General Charles Gerard Courtenay Vyvyan, (born 29 September 1944) is a retired British Army officer. He served as Head of the British Defence Staff and Defence Attaché in Washington, D.C. (1997–2000), and Gentleman Usher of the Scarlet ...

*2000-2002 Air Vice-Marshal John Thompson *2002-2005 Rear-Admiral

Anthony Dymock Vice Admiral Sir Anthony Knox Dymock KBE, CB, FRSA (born 18 July 1949) is a senior British Royal Navy officer. Naval career Educated at Brighton Hove and Sussex Grammar School, University of East Anglia where he graduated in Russian and Philos ...

*2006-2008 Major General Peter Gilchrist *2008-2011 Air Vice Marshal Michael Harwood *2011-2015 Major-General

Buster Howes Major General Francis Hedley Roberton "Buster" Howes, (born 22 March 1960) is a former Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from February 2010 to December 2011. Early life Howes was educated at Christ's Hospital ...

*2015–2017 Major-General

Richard Cripwell Lieutenant General Richard John Cripwell, (born 1962) is a former senior British Army officer. He has served as the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey since 2022. Early life and education Cripwell was born in 1962 in Newry, Northern Ireland. He wa ...

*2017–2020 Air Vice-Marshal

Gavin Parker Air Vice-Marshal Gavin Douglas Anthony Parker, is a former senior Royal Air Force officer and was formerly the Head of the British Defence Staff and Defence Attaché in Washington, D.C. Early life and education Parker was born on 22 February ...

*2020–Present Air Vice-Marshal

Michael Smeath Air Vice-Marshal Michael John Smeath (born 2 October 1967) is a senior Royal Air Force officer. Education He was educated at the Open University (BSc), King's College London (MA) and Deakin University, Canberra. RAF career Smeath was commissio ...

References

External links

British Defence Staff - USA
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom) * United Kingdom–United States relations {{UK-mil-stub