Buster Howes
Howes in 2011
Born (1960-03-22) 22 March 1960 (age 64)
Newcastle upon Tyne, England
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Marines
Years of service1982–2015[1]
RankMajor General
Commands heldCommandant General Royal Marines
3 Commando Brigade
42 Commando
Battles/warsOperation Banner
Gulf War
Bosnian War
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Major General Francis Hedley Roberton "Buster" Howes, CB, OBE (born 22 March 1960) is a former Royal Marines officer who served as Commandant General Royal Marines from February 2010 to December 2011.

Early life

Howes was educated at Christ's Hospital, a private school in Horsham, West Sussex. He studied chemistry at the University of York, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree. He completed a Master of Arts degree in strategic studies at the University of London.[2][3]

Military career

Howes was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1982.[3] He became a troop commander in 42 Commando and had his first posting to Northern Ireland. After training as a Mountain Leader, he transferred to 45 Commando.[3] He served in the Gulf War while on secondment to the United States Marine Corps. He served as a planner in the Rapid Reaction Force Operations Staff of United Nations Protection Force during the Bosnian War in 1995.[3]

Howes led 42 Commando during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, for which he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.[2] He became Chief Joint Coordination and Effects in Headquarters ISAF in Afghanistan in 2007,[4] and Director of Naval Staff later that year.[5] He went on to be commander of 3 Commando Brigade in April 2008, Head of Overseas Operations in the Ministry of Defence in 2009 and Commandant General Royal Marines in February 2010.[3] He was Head of the British Defence Staff – US and Defence Attaché in Washington, D.C. from 2011 to 2015,[6][7] and was appointed an Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2013 Birthday Honours.[8]

Later career

In June 2020, Howes was appointed Chief Executive of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo after having served as a non-executive director of the organisation since 2015.[9]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Buster Howes.
  1. ^ "No. 61352". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 September 2015. p. 17151.
  2. ^ a b 'HOWES, Maj. Gen. Francis Hedley Roberton, (Buster)', Who's Who 2017, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2017; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2016; online edn, Nov 2016 accessed 22 June 2017
  3. ^ a b c d e Royal Navy: Major General Buster Howes OBE
  4. ^ Consilium
  5. ^ Royal Navy Senior Appointments Archived 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ Whitaker's Almanack 2012
  7. ^ "Major General Buster Howes OBE". GOV.UK. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  8. ^ "No. 60534". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 June 2013. p. 2.
  9. ^ "Major General Buster Howes appointed as new Chief Executive of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo". Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
Military offices Preceded byAndy Salmon Commandant General Royal Marines 2010–2011 Succeeded byEd Davis Preceded byMichael Harwood Head of the British Defence Staff – US and Defence Attaché 2011–2015 Succeeded byRichard Cripwell
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