User:Tompadgett1989/Stephen Padgett
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Stephen Padgett (British Army officer)
Stephen Padgett | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/ |  British Army |
| Years of service | 1980-Present |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Commands held | 1st Battalion, Prince of Wales's Own, Commander British Forces Afghanistan |
| Battles/wars | Northern Ireland, Afghanistan |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Colonel Stephen Padgett OBE[1] (born October 1960) is an officer in the British Army. He is best known for his role as COMBRITFOR (Commander British Forces) in Afghanistan in 2005.
Early life[edit]
Padgett was born and raised in Gomersal, West Yorkshire. He attended Batley Grammar School before he attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Career[edit]
Following training at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Padgett's permanent commission in the PWO as a second lieutenant was confirmed on 12 April 1980.[2]. He was promoted lieutenant on 12 April 1982,[3], captain on 12 October 1986,[4], and major on 30 September 1992.[5]. Padgett was promoted lieutenant colonel on 30 June 1999.[6]. he took over command of the 1st Battalion, PWO in May 2001 as the regiment moved to Omagh, Co. Tyrone [7]. On 23 April 2004 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his service in Northern Ireland between April and September 2003[1][7] as CO of 1PWO, during which time the regiment recovered its full manpower and boasted one of the highest personnel retention rates in the British Army[7]. His next appointment was as Chief of Staff at Headquarters United Kingdom Support Command (Germany) (HQUKSC(G))[7]. In 2005, as an acting colonel, Padgett took over the role of Commander of British Forces in Afghanistan. In the course of this appointment, Padgett took a leading role in efforts to curb the illicit Afghan opium trade[8], and also in the encouragement of Afghan civilians to vote in the democratic elections that were taking place at the time. He led his team of Gurkhas on a three day patrol into the isolated regions of the Hindu Kush in order to spread the message[8][9]. He formally attained the rank of colonel on 30 June 2006.[10].
References[edit]
- ^ a b "No. 57269". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 22 April 2004. - ^ "No. 48229". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 23 June 1980. - ^ "No. 18964". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 27 April 1982. - ^ "No. 50690". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 21 October 1986. - ^ "No. 53068". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 6 October 1992. - ^ "No. 55543". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 6 July 1999. - ^ a b c d "Spen soldier's OBE honour". Spenborough Guardian. 14 May 2004. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ a b "British troops Sent to Stop Al-Qaeda's Drug Funds". The Guardian. 26 February 2006. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "Voters Who Snubbed Warlords". The Mirror. 19 September 2005. Retrieved 28 April 2011.
- ^ "No. 58036". The London Gazette (invalid
|supp=(help)). 4 July 2006.
External links[edit]