David Richards (British Army officer)

David Julian Richards, Baron Richards of Herstmonceux, GCB, CBE, DSO ( born March 4, 1952) is a former general in the British Army and currently a member of the House of Lords.

Biography

He went to school in Eastbourne. 1971 began his military career in the artillery. The visit of Cardiff University, he graduated in 1974 with a title in International Relations from. In the artillery, he was stationed in the Far East, Germany, UK and Northern Ireland. In 1974 he became a lieutenant in 1977 captain. In 1984 he attended the Staff College in Camberley. He spent two years at the Berlin Brigade. After subsequent promotions 1994 he moved to the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom. In 1995 he became brigadier. In 1999 he commanded a unit in East Timor, 2000 in Sierra Leone. Thus he had to participate in Sierra Leone in an operation in the Civil War, where he Ahmad Tejan Kabbah assisted in the defense of Freetown against the Revolutionary United Front. In 2001 he took a leading role in Allied Command Europe Rapid Reaction Corps. After subsequent promotions he took over from 2006 to 2007 the command of ISAF. From 2008 to 2009 was the commander of the British land forces and 2009-2010 Chief of the General Staff. After that, he was from 2010 until his retirement in 2013, chief of the defense staff.

He is married and has two offspring and lives in Kensington Palace.

Awards

For use in Northern Ireland he got the Mentioned in Despatches. For use in East Timor, he was awarded the Order of the British Empire. For use in Sierra Leone, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order. In 2002, he received from the Queen the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal. For use in Afghanistan, he got in 2007 the Order of the Bath. In 2008 he received from the Queen the title of aide- de-camp.

House of Lords

On February 24, 2014 Richards was taken with the title of Baron Richards of Herstmonceux as a life peer in the House of Lords. He sits there as a Cross Bencher.