Ralph Wooddisse
Lieutenant General Sir Ralph William Wooddisse, KCB, CBE, MC (born 8 January 1970) is a British Army officer who serves as Commander Field Army since April 2021.
Sir Ralph Wooddisse | |
---|---|
Born | Dhekelia, Cyprus | 8 January 1970
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/ | British Army |
Years of service | 1989–present |
Rank | Lieutenant General |
Commands held | Field Army 1st (United Kingdom) Division 38th (Irish) Brigade 2nd Battalion, Royal Anglian Regiment |
Battles/wars | The Troubles Bosnian War Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross |
Early life and education
Wooddisse was born on 8 January 1970 in Dhekelia, Cyprus.[1] He was educated at Denstone College, a private school in Staffordshire, England. He studied at University College London and underwent officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[2]
Military career
Wooddisse was commissioned into the Royal Anglian Regiment on 3 September 1989.[3] He was awarded the Military Cross (MC) on 20 October 1999 in recognition of gallant and distinguished services during operations in Kosovo between January and June that year.[4] He later served as a company commander in Iraq during the Iraq War, was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2007 Birthday Honours,[5] and became commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment in March 2009.[2]
Wooddisse went on to be Assistant Head, Military Strategic Plans at the Ministry of Defence in May 2012, commander of 38th (Irish) Brigade in November 2013,[6] and General Officer Commanding 1st (United Kingdom) Division in May 2017.[7] Wooddisse was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours,[8] and appointed Assistant Chief of the General Staff in November 2018.[9] He was promoted to lieutenant general and became Commander Field Army on 19 April 2021.[10]
Wooddisse was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2022 Birthday Honours.[11]
Personal life
In 2000, Wooddisse married Louise. Together they have three daughters.[1]
References
- "Wooddisse, Maj. Gen. Ralph William, (born 8 Jan. 1970), Assistant Chief of the General Staff, since 2018". Who's Who 2021. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
- "Colonel RW Wooddisse MBE, MC" (PDF). International Symposium on Military Operational Research. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- "No. 51927". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 November 1989. p. 12817.
- "No. 55651". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 October 1999. p. 11556.
- "No. 58358". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2007. pp. 5–6.
- "Army Commands" (PDF). Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- "No. 61930". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 May 2017. p. 9902.
- "No. 61962". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2017. p. B6.
- "Generals November 2018" (PDF). Retrieved 25 November 2018.
- "No. 63325". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 April 2021. p. 7239.
- "No. 63714". The London Gazette (Supplement). 2 June 2022. p. B2.