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Brigadier Gavin J Thompson


Brigadier Gavin Thompson was born on 23 March 1969 in Durham. He was educated in Durham. In 1992 he graduated from the University of Keele with a First Class Honours Degree in History and Politics. From University he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Royal Tank Regiment in 1993, he was posted to the 1st Royal Tank Regiment in Tidworth on completion of his armoured troop leaders’ course in 1994.

In 1994 he served with the Regiment on operations in Northern Ireland. In 1997 he became the Adjutant and during this time he served with the Regiment on United Nations operations in Cyprus. In 1999 he was promoted to Major and posted to the Directorate of Military Operations for a year before starting 2 years of study of Staff Training at the Royal Military College of Science. During that this period of study he attained Masters degrees from the Cranfield University and from Kings College London.

He returned to the Directorate of Military Operations on completion of his staff training and then onto the Directorate of Strategic Plans. In 2004 he returned to Regimental Duty, this time to the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment in Fallingbostel, Germany. He commanded a Squadron on Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank, then converted it to the experimental medium armour role. By this time he had served on Chieftain, Challenger 1, Challenger 2 and Scimitar CVR(T).

In 2007 he returned again to the staff, this time in Army Equipment Plans. In January 2009 he assumed command of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment on operations in Basra. He handed over the role to an incoming US Brigade and executed the final ground manoeuvre operation of the UK’s Operation TELIC commitment, after which he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service (QCVS).

Returning the Regiment to the Counter Nuclear, Biological and Chemical role, he commanded NATO’s high readiness CBRN reaction force, brought to Full Operating Capability the new Light Role CBRN Team concept and concurrently supported the deployment of D Squadron 1st Royal Tank Regiment to Afghanistan on Operation HERRICK 11.

Ending as the longest serving Commanding Officer of the First, he returned to the Ministry of Defence in 2011 as a Colonel to take over as Head of the Ground Manoeuvre Equipment Programme. In 2012 he became head of the Army’s Policy Branch a post he served in for 2 years before attending the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2014/15, at the end of which, he was invited into the 63/68 Club. Following a brief spell working on Defence Review implementation in the Cabinet Office he moved to the Ministry of Defence Equipment and Support as the Principal Staff Office to the Chief Executive Officer. In the same year he was appointed a Deputy Colonel Commandant of the Royal Tank Regiment.

In 2017 he promoted to Brigadier and began preparations to take up the appointment of Defence Adviser New Delhi. Part of his preparation was to attend the Indian National Defence College 58 Course in 2018 through which he was awarded a Master of Philosophy from the University of Madras. At the same time he started PhD research in the Leadership, Organisation and Behaviour Department of the Henley Business School, University of Reading. He took up the appointment of Defence Adviser New Delhi in January 2018. In December of that year he was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Royal Tank Regiment.

Throughout his service he has been a keen sportsman. He has represented the Royal Armoured Corps in Nordic Skiing, Orienteering and Squash. He is a qualified squash and junior rugby coach and coached at Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club for 5 years. He was Secretary of Royal Armoured Corps Nordic Skiing from 2001-2004 and of Army Nordic Skiing from 2004-2006. He is Chairman of Royal Armoured Corps Nordic Skiing.

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