Ian Cave

Lieutenant General Sir Ian John Cave, KCB, is a British Army officer who was Commander Home Command from June 2021 to September 2023. He now serves as the UK Military Representative to NATO and to the European Union.

Sir Ian Cave
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	British Army
Years of service	1987–present
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	UK Military Representative to NATO Home Command Initial Training Group 1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment
Battles / wars	Iraq War War in Afghanistan
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service

Military career

Cave was commissioned into the Queen's Lancashire Regiment on 4 September 1987.^[1] He was subsequently transferred to the Royal Welch Fusiliers on 9 February 1988.^[2]

Cave served as commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, the Mercian Regiment and in that capacity saw action in the Iraq War in 2008,^[3] for which he was awarded a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service.^[4] He went on to be Commander, Initial Training Group in February 2011, Director of Training, Field Army in February 2014 and Deputy Chief of Staff (Plans), Joint Force Command Naples in July 2015.^[5] After that he became Chief of Staff, Field Army in April 2018, and Commander Home Command from June 2021 to September 2023.^[6] He became UK Military Representative to NATO and to the European Union in November 2023.^[7]

Cave has also been Colonel of the Mercian Regiment since 2018,^[8] and was Colonel Commandant of the King's Division, Infantry from December 2021 until December 2022.^[9][10] He was Deputy Colonel Commandant of the Adjutant General's Corps until October 2024.^[11]

Honours

He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2020 New Year Honours.^[12] In the 2024 King's Birthday Honours, he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).^[13][14]

References

1. "No. 51136". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 November 1987. p. 14771.
2. "No. 51289". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 March 1988. p. 3987.
3. "Army chief's Iraq pledge". Manchester Evening News. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
4. "No. 58999". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 March 2009. p. 4086.
5. "Senior Army Appointments" (PDF). Retrieved 18 June 2021.
6. "No. 63386". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2021. p. 10561.
7. "Lieutenant General Ian Cave CB". DSEI. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
8. "Lasting tribute to Tamworth soldiers killed in Iraq". Birmingham Mail. 28 June 2018. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
9. "No. 63576". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 January 2022. p. 23985.
10. "No. 63947". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 January 2023. p. 1145.
11. "No. 64546". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 October 2024. p. 20855.
12. "No. 62866". The London Gazette (Supplement). 28 December 2019. p. N2.
13. "The Military division of The King's Birthday Honours List 2024". GOV.UK. Ministry of Defence. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
14. "No. 64423". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2024. p. B2.

Military offices
Preceded by Sir Tyrone Urch	Commander Home Command 2021–2023	Succeeded by Charles Seymour Collins
Preceded by Sir Ben Bathurst	UK Military Representative to NATO 2023–present	Incumbent