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A senior general has made history by becoming the first woman to serve as the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, making her the highest-ranking female in British military history.
Lieutenant General Sharon Nesmith, 51, of Northumberland, was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS) yesterday.
This follows Her Majesty The Queen’s approval of her appointment in April.
Lt Gen Nesmith is the first British Army officer to hold this coveted position. He is married to a tree surgeon and has two boys.
‘I am very honored to be selected as Deputy Chief of the General Staff at such a critical moment for the British Army,’ she added.
‘I am thrilled to be playing a role in mobilizing the Army to address today’s challenges and delivering on our Future Soldier’s aggressive modernisation agenda.’
Lt Gen Nesmith joined the Royal Corps of Signals in 1992 and spent the most of her early years operating in the Balkans, Iraq, and Germany.
‘I am happy that Sharon Nesmith has taken up her job as Deputy Chief of the General Staff,’ said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.
‘She offers considerable expertise and creative ideas to lead the Army’s modernization and cope with rising global challenges.’
Lt Gen Nesmith, Vice President of Army Football and Army Rugby, was the first female brigade commander and Senior Responsible Officer for the Armed Forces Recruiting program.
She said after her appointment in April, ‘I look forward to playing a role in directing our future troop transformation to become a more deadly, nimble, digitized, and expeditionary force.’
General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith, the professional head of the army, said of her, ‘She is the right person at the right moment to spearhead the Army’s change.’