Gwyn Jenkins

Jenkins was educated at Malmesbury School.[1] He graduated from the Military College Shrivenham in 2004, where he completed a master's degree in Defence Studies.[2]

Jenkins was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1990. He spent time as a junior officer in the Commando Logistics Regiment and on operations in Northern Ireland with 42 Commando.[3] He became commanding officer of the Special Boat Service (SBS) in 2009.[4] He was promoted to colonel from acting colonel on 1 July 2011,[5] and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1 October 2011 to 31 March 2012".[6]

Im 2012, he was appointed military assistant to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.[7] On 1 July 2015, he was promoted from acting brigadier to brigadier.[8] He went on to become Deputy National Security Adviser for Conflict, Stability and Defence in 2016,[9] commander 3 Commando Brigade in 2017,[10] and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy) in 2019.[11] Jenkins was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2021 New Year Honours.[12]

As a general

General Jenkins inspecting his first parade as Commandant General Royal Marines in November 2022

Jenkins was promoted to general on 30 August 2022, skipping the rank of lieutenant general,[13] and took up the post of Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.[14] He is the first four-star Royal Marine general after Sir Gordon Messenger since 2016 and only the second since 1977. At the same time he was made an Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the Queen.[13] Jenkins also became Commandant General Royal Marines on 25 November, succeeding Lieutenant General Robert Magowan. Jenkins became the first full general to serve as Commandant General since the 1970s.[15][16]