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]

Jenkins became commanding officer of his unit in 2009. He was promoted to colonel[4] and deployed to Afghanistan in 2011 before becoming Military Assistant to the Prime Minister in 2012.[5] He went on to become Deputy National Security Adviser for Conflict, Stability and Defence in 2016,[6] commander 3 Commando Brigade in 2017,[7] and Assistant Chief of the Naval Staff (Policy) in 2019.[8] Jenkins was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2021 New Year Honours.[9]

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,[10] and took up the post of Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff.[11] 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.[10] 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.[12][13]