Major General Ben Cattermole CBE

Major General Ben Cattermole was commissioned in 1996 into the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, an armoured Regiment based in Germany. He has served around the world including in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

On the staff, he has worked in Defence Intelligence, as military assistant to the chief of the general staff and author of the British Army’s capstone doctrine, Land Operations. On promotion to Colonel, he led the Chief of the General Staff’s Initiatives Group before attending the Higher Command Staff and Course and then launching Programme CASTLE, transforming Army talent management.

Having led Defence’s strategic support to the Scottish Government at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, in summer 2022 he took command of 11 Infantry Brigade. The Brigade prepared forces for global commitments, while also responsible for counter-poaching operations in southern Africa and resilience support to the Government in southern England. In 2021 the Brigade converted to a security force assistance role.

After brigade command, he established the Combat Manoeuvre Centre in 2022, responsible for improving combined arms proficiency across the Army, bringing into one organization armored, light forces and specialist individual training.

Ben has Masters degrees in Classics from Oxford and in International Relations.