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Home Command (British Army)

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Home Command
ActiveHome Command 2016–present
Personnel and Support Command 2015–2016
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Part ofBritish Army
Garrison/HQMontgomery House, Aldershot

Home Command, previously Personnel and Support Command, is a personnel support and UK operations command of the British Army. The post of Commander PSC previously replaced that of Adjutant-General to the Forces, and then had British Isles responsibilities, including Support Command (British Army) and civil contingencies tasks, added to it.

Responsibilities

In 2015 the post of the Army's Adjutant-General to the Forces was eliminated, and re-designated Commander Personnel and Support Command.[1][2] In April 2016, Personnel and Support Command was renamed as Home Command.[3]

Headquarters Home Command is located at Montgomery House in Aldershot and provides the Army’s personnel and institutional support.[3] It assumed responsibility for the delivery elements of the Adjutant General’s portfolio: recruiting; individual training (officers and soldiers); career management and postings. The Command therefore includes the Military Secretary’s Organisation and the Army Personnel Centre (established 1996 at Kentigern House, Glasgow, responsible for records, careers, pay, pensions, documentation etc), the Army Recruiting and Training Division and the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Home Command also includes Regional Command to provide the Army’s institutional support, including: civil engagement, cadets, Firm Base and Garrisons, Recovery Capability, welfare, and veterans, including the Regular Reserve.[4] In summary, it "provides personnel and institutional support to the Army."[5][6]

By September 2020, Home Command consisted of Regional Command, London District, the Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command, the Army Personnel Centre and General Officer Commanding Scotland, and Sandhurst Group. Additional commands under Commander Home Command include Director Children and Young People and Head Personnel Serivce Group.[7][8] In early 2017 there were 155 military and 511 civilian personnel making up the Army Personnel Centre.[9] Later, Army Recruiting and Training Division was renamed as Recruiting and Initial Training Command.[10][11]

Standing Joint Commander (UK)

Commander Home Command is also the Standing Joint Commander (SJC(UK)) responsible for the planning and execution of civil contingency operations within the UK landmass and territorial waters during any required Military Aid to the Civil Authorities.[12] HQ SJC(UK) is Defence’s operational headquarters responsible for resilience operations and contingency planning in support of the civil authorities in the UK.[13] This headquarters was formed in 2004, with the then Commander-in-Chief, Land Forces as the SJC(UK). In the intervening years the post was downgraded to a lieutenant general. When Personnel Support Command was established in 2015, it was decided that the role of SJC(UK) Commander was to transfer to Commander PSC in Aldershot. In due course PSC became Home Command. However, military and civilian personnel remained in Andover, thereby separating the Commander from his Headquarters.

The Army Reserve (United Kingdom)'s Civil Contingency Reaction Forces (CCRFs), broken down by regional brigade, were intended to be a useful tool to provide support to civil authorities. A total of £1.8 million per year was allocated to the Civil Contingency Reaction Force between 2002 and March 2009 to fund role-specific training. But the CCRF was never mobilised, primarily because regular forces have been able to respond to crises in a shorter timescale, and a House of Commons answer on 5 November 2009 said that the concept had been discontinued.[14] The focus was placed instead on a "framework of Joint Regional Liaison Officers and Brigade Reinforcement Teams [which would continue] to ensure effective liaison between regional army headquarters, local authorities and the emergency services."

In 2016 work commenced to relocate HQ SJC(UK) to Aldershot, bringing the Commander together with his staff and thus improving the operational effectiveness of the HQ. It totals 23 personnel from all three services. The transfer to Montgomery House in Aldershot was completed in late October 2017.

Since 2017,[15] HQ SJC(UK) has been at Montgomery House, Aldershot.[16] It is militarily responsible for directing Operation Temperer anti-terrorist guard deployments, if ordered.

As of 2020, HQ SJC(UK) is organizing military aid to the civil authorities to support the British government's response to the 2020 coronavirus epidemic in the United Kingdom, for example in the process of establishing the NHS Nightingale Hospitals.[17] It will be responsible, in that role, for the COVID Response Force.

Major-General David Eastman temporarily held the appointment of Commander SJC(UK) from 25 May 2020 – 7 September 2020.[18]

Lists of Commanders

See also: List of Adjutants-General to the Forces

Commander Personnel and Support Command

Commander Home Command

References

  1. ^ "A new painting marks Army's relationship with Scotland over last 100 years". Ministry of Defence. 7 October 2005. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  2. ^ "Outlet" (PDF). Defence Fire Risk Management Organisation. November 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  3. ^ a b "Red Devils drop in to deliver Aldershot Army HQ's flag". getHampshire. Archived from the original on 8 May 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2016.
  4. ^ "Freedom of Information Act release from Joint Forces Command" (PDF). Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Land Forces senior, as of September 2015". Retrieved 5 March 2016.
  6. ^ "Oral evidence - SDSR 2015 and the Army - 14 Jun 2016". UK Hansard. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Army Structure". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 24 May 2018.
  8. ^ "How Defence Works version 6.0" (PDF). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk. UK Ministry of Defence. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 7 November 2020. page 30
  9. ^ "Kentigern House:Written question - 63723". UK Parliament.
  10. ^ "The Friends of the Royal Memorial Chapel Summer 2018" (PDF). Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  11. ^ Mackie, Colin (18 August 2019). "Senior Army Commands, 1860" (PDF). gulabin.com. Colin Mackie. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2019. Governor/Commandant, Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst (and GOC, Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command)
  12. ^ "2015 to 2020 government policy: Military Aid to the Civil Authorities for activities in the UK". UK Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  13. ^ "Aldershot becomes home to Headquarter Standing Joint Commander (UK) • The Military Times". The Military Times. 24 October 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  14. ^ [1] reproducible via the Open Parliament License (https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright-parliament/open-parliament-licence/).
  15. ^ "Army in the South East". www.facebook.com.
  16. ^ Ministry of Defence (8 April 2020). "Standing Joint Command (SJC): Resilience of the UK". Medium. Retrieved 13 April 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "Emergency hospital to be set up in London's ExCel centre for coronavirus patients". The Independent. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  18. ^ "Standing Joint Command Appointments" (PDF). whatdotheyknow.com. whatdotheyknow. 23 November 2020. Retrieved 24 November 2020. In response to the first question, Maj Gen Eastman was the SJC(UK) from 25 May – 7 Sep 20. In response to the second question, please note that up until that point Lt Gen Urch was the Commander (Maj Gen Eastman – Deputy) and he resumed the role of Commander after the 7 Sep 20
  19. ^ "Commander opens new military sports facilities in Catterick Garrison". Richardmondshire today. 18 May 2018. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
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