Brigadier Mark Carleton-Smith, Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade, Helmand Province, Afghanistan, May 2008

Digital photograph by Corporal Ian Houlding, Royal Logistic Corps, 2008.

Carleton-Smith became Commander of 16 Air Assault Brigade in 2007 and was deployed to Afghanistan as Commander of Task Force Helmand in April 2008. In April 2016, following a period as Director Special Forces, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general and became Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations). Carleton-Smith's promotion to the rank of General and appointment as Chief of the General Staff was confirmed by Gavin Williamson, the Secretary of State for Defence, in May 2018.