Tom Bateman (British Army officer)


Tom Bateman

Major General Bateman in 2023
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Branch
British Army
Service years
1990–present
Rank
Lieutenant General
Commands1st (United Kingdom) Division
11 Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East
Conflicts
War in Afghanistan
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire

Lieutenant General Thomas Julian Bateman, CBE is a senior British Army officer who served as Commander of the UK Standing Joint Force Headquarters from April 2024 to June 2026 and is currently Commander Multinational Force Ukraine since July 2026.

Military career

Bateman was commissioned in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards on 9 September 1990.[1] He became commander of 11 Infantry Brigade and Headquarters South East in August 2018,[2] Assistant Chief of Staff, Operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters in November 2020,[3] and General Officer Commanding 1st (United Kingdom) Division in September 2022.[4][5] He went on to be Commander of the UK Standing Joint Force Headquarters in April 2024, serving until summer 2026.[6]

In July 2026 he was promoted to lieutenant general, and appointed in command of the multinational headquarters preparing to send forces into Ukraine once fighting stops, located in Paris.[7]

Bateman was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2011 New Year Honours,[8] and was advanced to Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services in the field on 15 September 2017.[9]

In autumn 2025 Bateman was posted, along with other British service personnel, to the Civil-Military Coordination Center, Kiryat Gat, Israel.[10][11]

References

  1. ↑ "No. 52323". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 November 1990. p. 17190.
  2. ↑ "Portsmouth called to thank military personnel this Christmas by region's top army commander". Portsmouth News. 24 December 2018. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  3. ↑ "Generals" (PDF). Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  4. ↑ 1 (UK) Division (20 September 2022). "1 (UK) Division". Twitter. Retrieved 1 October 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ "No. 63833". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 October 2022. p. 18744.
  6. ↑ "Structure". Joint Expeditionary Force. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "British General takes charge of force preparing for Ukraine". bfbs Forces News. Retrieved 3 August 2026.
  8. ↑ "No. 59647". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2010. p. 5.
  9. ↑ "No. 62052". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 September 2017. p. 17278.
  10. ↑ "St Mary's Hosts 'Weeping in Ramah' Conference". St Mary's University, London. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  11. ↑ "Crisis in the Holy Land: conference at St Mary's University, 21 November 2025". Retrieved 10 December 2025. Sir Vincent Fean: "There's a new Civil Military Coordination Centre in Israel, in Kiryat Gat: a lot of Americans, a lot of Israelis, one British Major General – Tom Bateman – and 10 British staff