General Sir Patrick Sanders KCB CBE DSO, former Chief of the General Staff
Date/Time: Thursday 13 February 2025, 5.30pm
Venue: Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building, Newcastle University
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Heads of the military and of the intelligence agencies agree that 2025 is a year of unusually serious and multilayered challenges. How the country chooses to deal with them – with low economic growth and with urgent demands on public spending elsewhere – is yet another.
Biography
Born in Tidworth Garrison military hospital and raised in Norway, Gibraltar and Iraq, General Sir Patrick Sanders was commissioned in 1986 and spent his early service as an Infantry Officer in The Royal Green Jackets in Germany, Norway and the UK. He has commanded on operations in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
His staff appointments have been in operational and strategic roles. He has been a member of the Directing Staff at the Joint Staff College, Pol/Mil adviser for the Commander of Coalition Forces in Iraq in 2003-4, Colonel Army Strategy, Chief of Defence Staff’s Liaison Officer to the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations) in the MOD.
His higher command appointments were 20 Armoured Brigade, the 3rd (UK) Division and the Field Army. He was promoted to General in May 2019 and commanded UK Strategic Command until May 2022. He became Chief of the General Staff in June 2022.
Defending the UK in unprecedented times by General Sir Patrick Sanders
