Warrant Officer Class One Glenn John Haughton, (born May 1972) is a senior

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

soldier. Since November 2018, he has served as the

Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee The Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chiefs of Staff Committee (SEAC) is the most senior member of the other ranks of the British Armed Forces. The role of the SEAC is to advise the Chiefs of Staff Committee, contribute to policy and decision makin ...

. He was previously the

Army Sergeant Major The Army Sergeant Major is the most senior member of the other ranks of the British Army. The three appointment holders have actually been commissioned officers (and former warrant officers class 1) holding the rank of captain, although unifor ...

, the most senior warrant officer and member of the other ranks in the British Army, from 2015 to 2018. He has also served as

Regimental Sergeant Major Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by warrant officers class 1 (WO1) in the British Army, the British Royal Marines and in the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, including Australia ...

of the

1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

and Academy Sergeant Major at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

Early life and education

Haughton left school after taking his

GCSEs The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is an academic qualification in a particular subject, taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. State schools in Scotland use the Scottish Qualifications Certificate instead. Private sc ...

at the age of 16 and joined the armed forces in 1988. While serving in the army, Haughton completed an Extended Diploma in strategic management; this is a qualification equivalent to two

A-Levels The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...

. Haughton holds a first class master's degree in

business administration Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...

Military career

Early career

In 1988, Haughton joined the

as a

guardsman Guardsman is a rank used instead of private in some military units that serve as the official bodyguard of a sovereign or head of state. It is also used as a generic term for any member of a guards unit of any rank. Canada In the Canadian Force ...

in the

Grenadier Guards "Shamed be whoever thinks ill of it." , colors = , colors_label = , march = Slow: " Scipio" , mascot = , equipment = , equipment ...

. During his career he has served a number of overseas posting and was involved in a number of conflicts including the

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...

, the

War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC) * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan (637–709) *Conquest of Afghanistan by the Mongol Empire (13th century), see al ...

, and the

Iraq War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish) , partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...

. He was appointed

of the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards in 2011. This meant he became the most senior soldier of the regiment. In 2010, Haughton was selected for a Late Entry Commission (i.e. he was a senior serving soldier selected to become a

commissioned officer An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent context ...

). However, he was chosen to continue working as one of the army's most senior

warrant officers Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the most ...

rather than immediately take up the role of a

staff officer A military staff or general staff (also referred to as army staff, navy staff, or air staff within the individual services) is a group of officers, enlisted and civilian staff who serve the commander of a division or other large military ...

. On 9 December 2013, he was commissioned into the British Army with the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

but continued serving in the rank of

warrant officer class 1 Warrant may refer to: * Warrant (law), a form of specific authorization ** Arrest warrant, authorizing the arrest and detention of an individual ** Search warrant, a court order issued that authorizes law enforcement to conduct a search for evide ...

. He was appointed academy sergeant major of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in January 2014.

Senior appointments

Participates in an Army Full Honors Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (27239979097) (cropped)

In January 2014, Haughton was appointed academy sergeant major, one of the most senior warrant officer appointments in the British Army. In March 2015, he was appointed

, making him the most senior warrant officer/other ranks soldier in the British Army. As the Army Sergeant Major, he was the only soldier (and the first) to be a member of the

Army Board The Army Board is the top single-service management committee of the British Army, and has always been staffed by senior politicians and soldiers. Until 1964 it was known as the Army Council. Membership of the Board The composition is as follo ...

. On 1 November 2018, Haughton was appointed as the first

. Although he continues to serve as a warrant officer class 1 in this position, he was promoted to

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

on 31 July 2019.

Personal life

Haughton is married and has two children. He left Twitter after claiming 'poor mental health as a result of trolling' after being publicly challenged over his record. He was removed from post after having an affair with a Junior NCO's wife.

Honours and decorations

In January 2014, Haughton was awarded the

Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include: * Meritorious Civilian Service Award *Meritorious Service Me ...

for distinguished service. In the

2018 New Year Honours The 2018 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebratio ...

, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Haughton, Glenn 1972 births Living people Grenadier Guards soldiers Army Sergeant Majors British Army personnel of the Gulf War British Army personnel of the Iraq War British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United Kingdom) Officers of the Order of the British Empire Grenadier Guards officers