Brigadier Andrew (Andy) Garner commissioned into 1st Battalion The Duke of Wellingtons’ Regiment (1 DWR) in 1994. He served as a Platoon Commander in Northern Ireland, The Falkland Islands, Belize, and Brunei. Following a three-year in-service degree at The Royal Military College of Science, he returned to 1 DWR as Anti-Tank Platoon Commander and served in Kosovo.
Upon completion of the Army Junior Command and Staff Course in 2001, he returned to 1 DWR as Operations Officer, during which time the Battalion deployed on Op TELIC (Iraq) for which he was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service. In 2009, he completed two years as a Rifle Company Commander with 1st Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. This included a ground-holding role in Nad-e Ali during Op HERRICK 12 (Afghanistan).
From 2013 to 2016 he commanded the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (Armored Infantry Battalion). During this time, he completed a full training year, a year held at High Readiness as the UK Lead Armored Battlegroup including a 3-month NATO deployment to Poland and a year delivering short-term training teams to the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Op ORBITAL (Ukraine). He was appointed Officer of Order of the British Empire for his time in command in the 2017 New Year’s Honors List.
On the Staff, Brigadier Garner served for two years in Commitment’s Division, Headquarters Land Command, and was appointed Member of the order of the British Empire in 2006. Prior to attending the Initial Command and Staff Course in January 2007, he deployed on Op TELIC 7 (Iraq) as SO2 ISTAR with Multi-National Division (Southeast). His initial SO2 appointment was as the Dismounted Close Combat Urgent Operational Requirements desk officer within Directorate Equipment Capability (Ground Maneuver). His subsequent SO2 appointment was as SO2 J3 Land at the Permanent Joint Headquarters after which he attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course in 2012. Following command, Brigadier Garner spent two years as SO1 G3/5 Commitments in the Army Directorate for Operations and Contingencies and then deployment to Op SHADER (Iraq) as XO to CG CJTFLCC.
On promotion to Colonel, he spent two years as Assistant Chief of Staff J3 Operations in the UK High Readiness Standing Joint Forces Headquarters where he led national planning for contingency operations in Europe, the Middle East and Indo-Pacific. Brigadier Garner then moved to Headquarters Home Command in October 2020 and assumed the role of Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Plans where his responsibilities included delivery of the 3* Command Plan, implementation of the Integrated Review for the Army’s Firm Base, digitalization and assurance and delivery of Op LONDON BRIDGE. Following promotion to Brigadier he assumed his current position as Deputy Commanding General CJTF-OIR in November 2022.
Brigadier Garner is married to Ange who is the Head of Learning Support at Warminster School. They have two children; Emily aged 15 and Ben aged 12. He enjoys the outdoors and keeping fit, spending whatever free time he has hill walking, climbing, doing CrossFit and road cycling.