Марк Карлтон-Смит завершил 40-летнюю карьеру на посту главнокомандующего британской армией

Sir Mark Carleton-Smith served from 1982 to 2022, rising from an infantry officer in the Irish Guards to the Army’s professional head, with a central chapter of his career commanding 22 SAS and then all UK Special Forces. Here all you need to know about General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith. Early career and special forces General Sir Mark Alexander Popham Carleton-Smith, GCB, CBE, DL, began his military career in 1982 on a university cadetship. He was commissioned into the 1st Battalion Irish Guards in 1986 and served in London, Germany, Canada, and South Armagh. In 1990, he passed SAS selection and spent much of the next 15 years on SAS operations in the Gulf, South America, Africa, and the Balkans. SAS command and post-9/11 operations In 2001, Carleton-Smith was promoted to lieutenant colonel and became the Military Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces. He then assumed command of the 22 SAS Regiment from 2002 to 2005, leading the regiment in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the aftermath of 9/11, he oversaw British special forces operations, including the hunt for Osama bin Laden. Brigade command and Afghanistan In 2006, Carleton-Smith took command of the 16 Air Assault Brigade and in 2008, he was deployed as Commander of Task Force Helmand and Commander British Forces Afghanistan. He was awarded a CBE in 2009 for his work in Afghanistan. Director Special Forces and senior staff roles Promoted to major general in 2012, Carleton-Smith became Director Special Forces (DSF), commanding all UK Special Forces from 2012 to 2015. He oversaw operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. He then served as Director Strategy at Army Headquarters (2015–2016) and as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) from 2016. Chief of the General Staff and honours In June 2018, Carleton-Smith was promoted to general and appointed Chief of the General Staff, becoming the youngest head of the British Army in over a century. He served until June 2022, the longest tenure in the post since the Second World War. He was knighted by the Queen in 2019. Read more All you need to know about SAS officer Timothy William Burlis Former SAS: Who Dares Wins star opens up on diagnosis that changed everything All you need to know about Sergeant Talaiasi Labalaba who was key for the SAS Post-military career After leaving Crown service in December 2022, Carleton-Smith moved into non-executive and advisory roles. He is a trustee of the charity Inter-Mediate and a speaker on leadership, strategy, and security. He continues to draw on his four-decade career in interviews, conferences, and mentoring work.