Jonathon Band
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| Jonathon Band | |
|---|---|
| 1950 – | |
 Sir Jonathon Band Picture: Crown copyright |
|
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Navy |
| Rank | Admiral |
| Battles/wars | Cold War, Falklands War, Bosnian War, War on terror, Iraq War |
| Awards | KCB, ADC |
Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, KCB, ADC (born 1950) is the current First Sea Lord, the most senior serving officer in the Royal Navy. He has held the position since 2005. Before serving as First Sea Lord he was Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Since becoming First Sea Lord, he has been a firm advocate of the creation of new ships to meet new threats and maintain the status of the Royal Navy as one of the worlds leading naval forces.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Early Life and Education
Born in 1950, he spent much of his early childhood abroad. Whilst at school, Band was a Petty Officer in the Combined Cadet Force.[2] He entered the Royal Navy in 1967. He was then educated at Haileybury before undertaking sea training in the Far East. He returned to England on an undergraduate program and studied for three years at the University of Exeter.[3] He is married to Sarah, Lady Band. [4] They have two daughters and live in Southsea, Portsmouth.
[edit] 1970's
After graduating from Exeter, he served in junior officer appointments in HMS Lewiston and HMS Rothesay (F107). In the mid 1970s, he undertook an exchange program with the United States Navy and served onboard the USS Belknap. The Belknap, a guided missile cruiser is now no longer in service. Following warfare training in 1976 and 1977 he served for two years as the Principal Warfare Officer and Operations Officer onboard the Frigate HMS Eskimo (F119). This appointment included deployments to the West Indies and South Atlantic.[3]
[edit] 1980's
In 1980 he commanded the minesweeper HMS Soberton for nearly two years in the Fishery Protection Squadron around the British coast. Between 1981 and 1983 he also served as Flag Lieutenant to Commander-in-Chief Fleet, a period where he was involved in the Falklands War. Promoted to the rank of Commander in 1983, he assumed command of the frigate HMS Phoebe, operating in the NATO area, at the time of the RN’s first operational experience with surface ship towed passive sonar. In 1985 he attended the the Joint Services Defence College and was soon appointed to the Defence Staff in the Ministry of Defence in the Directorate of Defence Policy. Promoted Captain in 1988, he left the Directorate of Policy and commanded HMS Norfolk (F230). He was also responsible for helping establish the first Type 23 Frigate Squadron.[3]
[edit] 1990's
In 1991, he became the Assistant Director Navy Plans and Programmes in the Ministry of Defence, a period that saw the implementation of the “Options for Change” Review. In 1994 he was a member of the Defence Costs Study (Front Line First) Secretariat. His last Sea Command was that of HMS Illustrious (R06), the aircraft carrier, between 1995 and 1997. The period included two operational deployments to the Adriatic in which he and the Illustrious supported the intervention of the USA, the United Nations, and NATO operations in Bosnia.[3]
In May 1997 he was elevate to Flag rank and promoted to Rear admiral. He returned to the Ministry of Defence as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff. This appointment included the period of the Strategic Defence Review, in which he was heavily involved in the Royal Navys contributions to the review. [5] He left this appointment in December 1999 and assumed the position of Team Leader of the Defence Education and Training Study in January 2000. In 2000 he was also promoted to Vice admiral.[3]
[edit] Commander-in-Chief Fleet
Between September 2001 and November 2005, he served as Commander-in-Chief Fleet, responsible for the preparation and operation of the ships, submarines and aircraft of the Royal Navy based at Northwood. In that post he had a NATO command as Commander Allied Maritime Component Command, Northwood. In 2002, he was knighted and awarded the Honourable Order of the Bath in the New Year's Honours List.[6] In 2003 he spoke out for the crew of the HMS Turbulent and the efforts to be the longest ever deployed submarine. HMS Turbulent was away for more than 10 months and he stated "They are a huge credit. The submarine has done the equivalent of going twice around the world,".[7] In March 2004 he spent several weeks touring naval facilities and ships in the Carribean and countries such as Antigua.[8]
In the Trafalgar 200 celebrations, celebrating the British victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, Band attended the ceremonies and the fleet review in the UK. In an interview [9] he stated:
"Trafalgar 200 is important internationally. It celebrates the fact that mariners are a great club of people who have a joint respect for the sea. There is no greater connecting medium in the world than the ocean, and it unites us"
– Interview with BBC News, 2006
Band also attended a marines parade, in honour of Lord Nelson, in October 2006. [10]
[edit] First Sea Lord
In February 2006 Band took over the position of First Sea Lord from Admiral Sir Alan West and in a press statement set out his out the Navy's priorities in the 21st century. [11] Upon taking up the post of First Sea Lord he became the professional head of the Royal Navy. He is also Chief of Naval Staff. Band is a proponent of Sustained Surface Combatant Capability and the creation of new ships to maintain the Royal Navy as one of the worlds leading navies.[12] These include the new Type 45 destroyer and the Royal Navy CVF programme, designed to replace the UK's current aircraft carriers. As head of the Royal Navy he led the Royal Navys official involvement in the planning of the Iraq War.[3]
In June 2006 he went on a fact finding and diplomatic mission to Pakistan where he met the head of the Pakistan airforce, the head of the Pakistan Navy and the Army Chief of Staff.[13] He also met with on the following day, the President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa.[14] In November 2006 he attended a press conference on HMS Illustrious, which was docked on the River Thames at Greenwich. He announced that the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War would be commemorated across 8,000 miles and four time zones - in London, Pangbourne and the Falkland Islands - from 14 to 17 June 2007. The event will be known as Operation Corporate and will be led by the current First Sea Lord. [15]
In February 2007, at a journalists' briefing, he warned that the Royal Navy needed another £1bn to meet future foreign policy demands and appealed to the government for additional funding, a third of the navy's annual operating budget, to spend on building more modern ships.[16] In a later interview with the Daily Telegraph he said that an increase of more than 30 per cent in the Fleet's day-to-day budget was necessary to pay for better sailors' wages, the running of ships and improved accommodation. He threatened to resign as head of the Navy if the Government failed to agree to pay for two new aircraft carriers - the Royal Navy CVF programme, it has promised. [17] As of early 2007, approval for construction has yet to be given. The Times has reported that the Treasury has agreed to fund the carriers but the Ministry of Defence is withholding the contract until BAE Systems and VT Group agree the merger of their shipbuilding assets.[18] The project is estimated to cost £3.6 - £3.9 billion.[18]
He is also President of the Royal Navy Volunteer Band Association, the Royal Navy Rugby Union and the Royal Naval and Royal Albert Yacht Club, as well as a Younger Brother of Trinity House.
[edit] References
- ^ http://navy-matters.beedall.com/s2c2.htm
- ^ http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/People/Speeches/MinVet/CombinedCadetForceAssociationAnnualDinner18December2006.htm
- ^ a b c d e f "First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff", Royal Navy, Royal Navy, 2006.
- ^ http://www.baesystems.com/Newsroom/NewsReleases/2006/press_10012006.html
- ^ http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmdfence/138/13803.htm
- ^ http://www.mtc.aust.com/symposium/Uk2003/ab_jband.html
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/2952055.stm
- ^ http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/2004/03/09/admiral.htm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/4621941.stm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6075166.stm
- ^ http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/PeopleInDefence/TheNameIsBandAdmiralSirJonathonBand.htm
- ^ http://navy-matters.beedall.com/s2c2.htm
- ^ http://www.navy.lk/news/news_bulletin/2006/june/05/admiral_sir_jonathons_visit.htm
- ^ http://www.presidentsl.org/data/html/photoessays/2006/photo_thumb/british_commander_june.htm
- ^ http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceNews/HistoryAndHonour/ModAnnouncesSeriesOfFalklandsCommemorativeEventsaudio.htm
- ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6369655.stm
- ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/02/17/navy17.xml
- ^ a b Robertson, David. "VT and BAE shipyards set for merger", The Times, Times Newspapers, 2007-02-19. Retrieved on February 19, 2007.
[edit] External link
| Military Offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Sir Alan West |
First Sea Lord 2006 – present |
Incumbent |
Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe • Sir Peter Parker • Prince William, Duke of Clarence • Sir George Cockburn • Sir Thomas Hardy • The Hon. George Heneage Dundas • Charles Adam • Sir Charles Adam • Sir William Parker • Sir Charles Adam • James Whitley Deans Dundas • Hyde Parker • The Hon. Maurice Fitzhardinge Berkeley • William Fanshawe Martin • The Hon. Sir Richard Saunders Dundas • The Hon. Sir Frederick Grey • Sir Sydney Dacres • Sir Alexander Milne • Sir Hastings Yelverton • George Wellesley • Sir Astley Cooper Key • Sir Arthur Acland Hood • Lord John Hay • Sir R. Vesey Hamilton • Sir Anthony Hoskins • Sir Frederick Richards • Lord Walter Kerr • Sir Jackie Fisher • Sir Arthur Knyvet Wilson • Sir Francis Bridgeman • Prince Louis of Battenberg • Sir Henry Jackson • Sir John Jellicoe • Sir Rosslyn Wemyss • The Earl Beatty • Sir Charles Madden, Bt • Sir Frederick Field • The Lord Chatfield • Sir Roger Backhouse • Sir Dudley Pound • The Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope • Sir John Cunningham • The Lord Fraser of North Cape • Sir Rhoderick McGrigor • The Earl Mountbatten of Burma • Sir Charles Lambe • Sir Caspar John • Sir David Luce • Sir Varyl Begg • Sir Michael Le Fanu • Sir Peter Hill-Norton • Sir Michael Pollock • Sir Edward Ashmore • Sir Terence Lewin • Sir Henry Leach • Sir John Fieldhouse • Sir William Staveley • Sir Julian Oswald • Sir Benjamin Bathurst • Sir Jock Slater • Sir Michael Boyce • Sir Nigel Essenhigh • Sir Alan West • Sir Jonathon Band •
