Brigadier Jonathan Calder-Smith
Biography
Brigadier Jonathan Calder-Smith was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1983. His early career was spent in Germany, Northern Ireland and the UK in a variety of Regimental and Instructional posts, most particularly with field artillery. He attended the Canadian Forces Command and Staff Course in Toronto in 1995 and was subsequently appointed as Directing Staff at the Junior Division of the Staff College, Camberley.
In 1998 he returned to 19 Regiment (The Highland Gunners) to command a Battery in UK and on a United Nations (UN) tour of Cyprus. Shortly after, he deployed on the first Pan-Balkan tour of an in-role Gunner Regiment as Regimental 2IC. He was promoted Lieutenant Colonel in 2002 and appointed Military Adviser to the British Ambassador to the UN in New York, during the lead-up to the Second Gulf War. This was followed just over a year later by appointment as Commanding Officer 19 Regiment RA (The Highland Gunners), which included a 6 month deployment to Iraq. In 2006 he took command of the Junior Officers’ Tactics Division in Warminster. He was promoted to Colonel in March 2007 and appointed Deputy Assistant Chief Of Staff Media and Communications, at HQ Land. He took over as Colonel Army Recruiting in May 2009, leaving that post to attend The Royal College of Defence Studies in September 2012. During the course, he was selected for promotion and appointed to be Defence Adviser Ottawa early 2014.
He is a very keen sportsman, is Chairman Combined Services Alpine and Director of the Inter Services Snow Sports Championships, Chairman Gunner Alpine Skiing and Lawn Tennis. His (ice) hockey remains the sport with the most unrealised potential.
Previous roles in government
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Defence Adviser, Canada