Sir Roland Walker
Lieutenant General Walker in 2021
Birth nameCharles Roland Vincent Walker
Nickname(s)Roly
Born (1970-05-14) 14 May 1970
Nairobi, Kenya
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchBritish Army
Years of service1990–present
RankLieutenant General
UnitGrenadier Guards
Commands heldDeputy Chief of the Defence Staff
Director Special Forces
12th Armoured Infantry Brigade
1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards
Battles/warsThe Troubles
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
AwardsKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Alma materRoyal Agricultural College
Spouse(s)
Kate White-Thomson
​
(m. 1998)​

Lieutenant General Sir Charles Roland Vincent Walker, KCB, DSO (born 14 May 1970) is a senior British Army officer, serving as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) since April 2021.[1] He will take up the post of Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, in 2024.

Family and education

Walker was educated at the Dragon School, a private preparatory school in Oxford, and then at Harrow School, an all-boys independent boarding school in London. Sponsored by the British Army as a university cadetship officer,[2] he studied at the Royal Agricultural College, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree.[3]

Military career

Walker was commissioned into the Guards Division of the British Army as a second lieutenant (on probation) on 9 September 1990 as part of his undergraduate cadetship.[2] He began active service in the Irish Guards in 1993, and saw operational tours in Northern Ireland and Iraq.[3] In 1997 he joined 22 Special Air Service Regiment.[4] Following his time with Special Forces, he became commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards from 2008 to 2010.[3][5] With the Grenadiers, he served a tour in Afghanistan, during which the Ridgeback PPV in which he was travelling was blown up by an improvised explosive device (IED): all six soldiers inside escaped uninjured, but the vehicle was thrown into the air, had its wheels blown off and its armour shredded.[5] Walker was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in September 2010 in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan.[6]

Walker commanded the 12th Armoured Infantry Brigade from 2013 to 2015,[3] and was promoted to brigadier on 30 June 2014.[7] He has since held staff appointments at Army Headquarters and the Ministry of Defence.[3] He was promoted to major general on 8 March 2018,[8] and appointed Director Special Forces.[9] He was promoted to lieutenant general and became Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Strategy and Operations) on 16 April 2021.[10] He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2023 New Year Honours,[11]

Walker has been selected to be the next Chief of the General Staff, the professional head of the British Army, and will take up the post in June 2024.[12][13]

Walker served as Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps from 1 March 2017 to 1 June 2022,[14] and Regimental Lieutenant Colonel of the Grenadier Guards from 18 June 2017 to 18 June 2022; both ceremonial appointments.[15][16]

Personal life

In 1998, Walker married Kate White-Thomson. They have three daughters and live in Herefordshire.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Notice, gov.uk. Accessed 3 July 2023.
  2. 1 2 "No. 52323". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 November 1990. p. 17191.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Walker, Maj. Gen. (Charles) Roland (Vincent), (born 14 May 1970), Operations Director, Ministry of Defence, since 2018". Who's Who 2021. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  4. ↑ "Lieutenant General Roly Walker DSO". GOV.UK.
  5. 1 2 Rayment, Sean (20 June 2010). "Portraits of bravery: commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Roly Walker". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "No. 59554". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 September 2010. p. 18535.
  7. ↑ "No. 60918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 July 2014. p. 2.
  8. ↑ "No. 62226". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 March 2018. p. 4541.
  9. ↑ "Lieutenant General Roly Walker DSO". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  10. ↑ "No. 63325". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 April 2021. p. 7239.
  11. ↑ "No. 63918". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2022. p. N2.
  12. ↑ Harnden, Toby (28 August 2023). "'As a soldier, he's beyond compare': The ex-SAS war hero intent on change for the British Army". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
  13. ↑ "General Sir Roly Walker appointed new Chief of the General Staff". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  14. ↑ "No. 61865". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 March 2017. p. 4890.
  15. ↑ "Regimental Headquarters". Grenadier Guards. Retrieved 17 April 2021.
  16. ↑ "No. 61971". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 June 2017. p. 11876.
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