General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...

Sir Richard Lawson Barrons, (born 17 May 1959) is a retired

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 ...

officer. He was Commander

Joint Forces Command The United Kingdom's Strategic Command (StratCom), previously known as Joint Forces Command (JFC), manages allocated joint capabilities from the three armed services. History Background In August 2010 the then Defence Secretary, Liam Fox, a ...

from April 2013 until his retirement in April 2016. Barrons' early career was spent in various staff and field posts in the UK, across Europe, and in the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...

. He also spent time working at the Ministry of Defence and in education. Sent to Germany in 1991, Barrons then served his first tour of duty in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

in 1993. Returning to the UK, Barrons took up a staff position and went on to do a tour in

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

and then to become a

Military Assistant A military assistant is sub-specialty of secretarial duties in the British Armed Forces and many of those derived from them, is an officer appointed to the personal office of a general officer. Whilst aides de camp (ADCs) are responsible for adm ...

, first to the

High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina The High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, were created in 1995 immediately after the signing of the Dayton Agreement which ended the 1992–1995 Bos ...

and then to the

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff ( United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Af ...

. Between 2000 and 2003, Barrons served again in the Balkans, in Afghanistan during the early days of

International Security Assistance Force ' ps, کمک او همکاري ' , allies = Afghanistan , opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda , commander1 = , commander1_label = Commander , commander2 = , commander2_label = , commander3 = , command ...

, and then in a staff position in

Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

. As a

brigadier Brigadier is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several thousand soldiers. In ...

in 2003, Barrons served his second tour in Northern Ireland, this time as a brigade commander. In 2005, he was appointed to Assistant Chief of Staff, Commitments, a senior staff position. He was promoted to

major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in 2008 and deployed to Iraq for the second time, this time to

Baghdad Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...

, with responsibility for joint operations. He then served briefly with the

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

Allied Rapid Reaction Corps before being sent to Afghanistan for the second time, when he headed an ISAF reintegration unit to provide incentives for Taliban soldiers to surrender. He later became Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations).

Military career

Educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood, Barrons was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

on probation as a university cadet into the

Royal Regiment of Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

on 2 September 1977 prior to reading Philosophy, Politics and Economics at

The Queen's College, Oxford The Queen's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford, England. The college was founded in 1341 by Robert de Eglesfield in honour of Philippa of Hainault. It is distinguished by its predominantly neoclassical architecture, ...

and becoming a full-time army officer on 21 June 1980. His commission was confirmed in 1981, with seniority from 17 May 1977 and he was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

with seniority from 17 May 1979. Between 1980 and 1990, he served in various positions across Europe and the Far East as well as in a staff position at the Ministry of Defence in London. He was promoted to

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 ...

on 19 November 1983. and took a

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

in Defence Administration in 1990, after which he attended the British Army's Staff College, Camberley, in 1991. Barrons' first

field officer A senior officer is an officer of a more senior grade in military or other uniformed services. In military organisations, the term may refer to any officer above junior officer rank, but usually specifically refers to the middle-ranking group of ...

promotion was 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 ...

in September 1991. He was sent to

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

to take up a position as chief of staff, 11 Armoured Brigade, which then deployed to the Balkans in 1993. Barrons then served briefly as Balkans desk officer at the Directorate of Military Operations and before becoming battery commander of B Battery, 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery from 1994–1996, which included a tour of duty in

. He was promoted to

lieutenant colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colone ...

on 30 June 1997. After promotion, he served again in Bosnia, as

(MA) to the

and then, back in the UK, as MA to the

. He went on to command 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, headquartered in

Hohne Hohne is a municipality in the state of Lower Saxony in Germany, east of the county town of Celle. It includes the three former parishes of Hohne, Helmerkamp and Spechtshorn. It should not be confused with the British Army camp of Hohne (German: ' ...

Germany, with which he deployed to the Balkans again in 2001. At the end of 2001, Barrons was appointed chief of staff of the 3rd (United Kingdom) Division and immediately deployed to

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

, where the division assisted in establishing the

. After serving in Afghanistan, Barrons returned to the UK to attend the

Higher Command and Staff Course The Higher Command and Staff Course is a staff course for senior military officers of the United Kingdom armed forces and allies. It is taught at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. The course is ...

, before promotion to

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge of ...

in June 2002. Barrons' next deployment was to

in 2003 as chief of staff, Multinational Division (South East), stationed in

High command

Barrons was promoted to

on 31 December 2003, with seniority from 30 June 2003. Upon promotion, he was posted to

, commanding 39 Infantry Brigade in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

, a position he held for two years. After Northern Ireland, he was appointed Assistant Chief of Staff, Commitments in 2005, with day-to-day responsibility for British Army operations. Barrons attained

general officer A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry. In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED O ...

status in 2008, when he was promoted to the substantive rank of

and appointed Deputy Commanding General,

Multi-National Corps – Iraq Multi-National Corps – Iraq (MNC-I) was a formerly multinational, later U.S. only, army corps created on 15 May 2004, fighting the Iraq War. Its superior body, the Multi-National Force-Iraq (MNF-I) had replaced Combined Joint Task Force 7 on ...

. He was posted to

, where he had responsibility for overseeing joint operations conducted by the multinational force and the Iraqi Army. Having served in Iraq, he returned to the UK to take up a staff post in April 2009 as chief of staff to the NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), but the appointment was short-lived as, in October 2009, he deployed to Afghanistan at short notice to establish a force reintegration unit, part of an effort to persuade Taliban fighters to rejoin society by offering alternatives to fighting, such as jobs and training. Barrons defended the controversial scheme in interviews, saying that it was not "about buying insurgents off the battlefield" and that "the idea is that you get the whole community benefiting and turning against the insurgency". In a later interview, Barrons also said "I am absolutely convinced it can be done, and that the time is right. This is an opportunity the Afghan people aren't going to get again. Most of them realize that, and are keen to take it now". Barrons' position, as of February 2011, was as Assistant Chief of the General Staff. In May 2011 he became Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) in the rank of

lieutenant general Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

. On 24 January 2013 it was announced that he was to be appointed Commander

in April 2013. As of 2015, Barrons was paid a salary of between £175,000 and £179,999 by the department, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time. In April 2016, he handed over command of Joint Forces Command to General Sir

Christopher Deverell General Sir Christopher Michael Deverell, (known as Chris), is a retired British Army officer who served as Commander of the UK's Joint Forces Command and member of the UK Chiefs of Staff Committee from April 2016 to May 2019. Early life and edu ...

Other work

Barrons co-authored a book, ''The Business General'', published by

Vermilion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since ancient history, antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its correspondi ...

, with Deborah Tom in 2006. He has also lectured as a guest speaker, including at the

University of Oxford , mottoeng = The Lord is my light , established = , endowment = £6.1 billion (including colleges) (2019) , budget = £2.145 billion (2019–20) , chancellor ...

. As of 2010, Barrons was chairman of the

Royal Artillery Museum The Royal Artillery Museum, which was one of the world's oldest military museums, was first opened to the public in Woolwich in southeast London in 1820. It told the story of the development of artillery through the ages by way of a collection o ...

. In May 2013, he was appointed Colonel Commandant of the

Honourable Artillery Company The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) is a reserve regiment in the British Army. Incorporated by royal charter in 1537 by King Henry VIII, it is the oldest regiment in the British Army and is considered the second-oldest military unit in the w ...

. A week after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Barrons said, "How does public opinion in the UK and other countries react to people who look and live like us being slaughtered", and then advocated "the application of NATO military power, perhaps through the sky and definitely against ussianheavy weapons."

Personal life

Barrons is married with two daughters.

Honours and decorations

Barrons was appointed a

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(MBE) in 1993 "in recognition of service during operations in the former Republic of Yugoslavia", and was promoted to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2000 New Year Honours. On 29 April 2003, he was promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 April 2002 to 30 September 2002". He was appointed a

Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I of Great Britain, George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate medieval ceremony for appointing a knight, which involved Bathing#Medieval ...

(KCB) in the 2013 Birthday Honours. In 2004, Barrons was awarded his first

Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service The King's Commendation for Valuable Service is a British military award for meritorious service in an operational theatre. It was established in 1994, when the award of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Queen's Commendation for ...

for services in Iraq the previous year, his second coming in 2006 in recognition of his service in Northern Ireland in 2005. He was also awarded the United States

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements. The decoration is issued to members of the eight ...

(Degree of Officer) "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services during coalition operations in Iraq".

References

, - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Barrons, Richard 1959 births Living people People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood British Army generals Royal Artillery officers Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Alumni of The Queen's College, Oxford Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service Officers of the Legion of Merit NATO personnel in the Bosnian War British military personnel of The Troubles (Northern Ireland) British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) People from Northampton