Richard Shirreff

Sir Richard Shirreff
General Sir Richard Shirreff
Born	1955 (age 61–62) Kenya Colony
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1976–2014
Rank	General
Commands held	7th Armoured Brigade 3rd Mechanised Division
Battles/wars	Northern Ireland Gulf War War in Iraq
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service

General Sir Alexander Richard David Shirreff KCB, CBE (born 1955) is a senior British Army officer. From March 2011 to March 2014 he served as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Born in Kenya and educated at Oundle School and Exeter College, Oxford, Richard Shirreff was commissioned into the 14th/20th King's Hussars in 1976 as a second lieutenant on probation (university cadetship) on 3 September 1976 He was confirmed as a second lieutenant on probation and as a second lieutenant (seniority from 1 February 1974) on 18 June 1977 and simultaneously promoted to lieutenant from the same date (seniority from 1 February 1976).

Shirreff was promoted to captain on 1 August 1980, and to major on 30 September 1987. Having seen active service during the Gulf War in 1991, Shirreff was promoted to lieutenant-colonel on 30 June 1992, and was appointed Commanding Officer of the King's Royal Hussars in 1994. He deployed his Regiment to Northern Ireland in 1995. Promoted to colonel – Army Plans at the Ministry of Defence on 30 June of the following year, he was promoted to brigadier on 30 June 1998 and became Commander of 7th Armoured Brigade which was deployed to Kosovo.