Lt Gen (retd) James Swift CB OBE

Lieutenant General James Swift (Retired) CB OBE joined the Army from university in 1989.

He was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Wales (later The Royal Welsh) and served in Hong Kong, Northern Ireland, South Korea, Germany, Iraq and Great Britain. He commanded his company in southern Iraq on Operations TELIC 3 and 6 and the 2 Royal Welsh Battle Group on Op TELIC 10.

His last few posts were: Assistant Chief of the General Staff and the Army’s Strategy Director; General Officer Commanding The 3rd (UK) Division, our high-readiness warfighting armoured division; and Chief of Defence People in the Ministry of Defence. He was Colonel of the Regiment of the Royal Welsh, and President of Army Rugby.

He retired in 2023, then served for 18 months in the Middle East as a defence advisor. He and his wife are now enjoying their passion for travelling the world and understanding different cultures.