Ian Garnett

Ian Garnett
1944 –
Place of birth	Surrey, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Navy
Years of service	1962 - 2004
Rank	Admiral
Commands	HMS Amazon HMS Active
Awards	KCB

Admiral Sir Ian Garnett KCB is the Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies. Born in Surrey, England in 1944, Admiral Ian Garnett joined the Royal Navy in 1962. After sea service in HM Ships London, Beachampton and the Royal Yacht Britannia, he was selected for flying training, qualified as an anti-submarine warfare helicopter pilot and joined 814 Squadron onboard HMS Hermes. Subsequently he served in a broad range of seagoing appointments: on exchange with the Royal Australian Navy both ashore and on board HMAS Melbourne; flying Sea King helicopters in HM Ships Tiger and Blake; and as the Operations Officer in HMS Naiad. On promotion to Commander in 1978, he became the Deputy Director (RN) of the Joint Maritime Operations Training School before assuming command of HMS Amazon, a Type 21 Frigate, operating in home waters, the Far East and the South Atlantic. Selected for Captain while attending the Royal Naval Staff College in 1983, he joined the Ministry of Defence as the Assistant Director (Ships) in the Operational Requirements Division. He then commanded HMS Active as the Captain, Fourth Frigate Squadron before leading the Royal Navy Presentation Team in 1988–89. In 1989, after seven months as Captain Naval Operational Command Systems, he was appointed Director of Operational Requirements (Sea Systems). Promoted to Rear Admiral in 1993 he became the Royal Navy's Flag Officer Naval Aviation. In August 1995, he was promoted to Vice Admiral and assumed the duties of NATO’s Deputy Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic. In February 1999 he was appointed Chief of Joint Operations at the Permanent Joint Headquarters (United Kingdom), and in September 2001 he was promoted to Admiral and assumed his final serving appointment as SACEUR’s Chief of Staff, SHAPE. He retired from the Royal Navy in December 2004, and on 5 January 2005 was appointed Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies.