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| Lieutenant General Andrew Ridgway | |
|---|---|
| Name | Andrew Ridgway |
| Caption | Lieutenant General Ridgway in uniform |
| Birth date | 1959 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army |
| Serviceyears | 1978–2018 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Unit | SAS, Parachute Regiment |
| Awards | OBE, CB, DSO (if applicable) |
Lieutenant General Andrew Ridgway
Lieutenant General Andrew Ridgway is a senior retired officer of the British Army whose career spanned four decades and included command of special forces, rapid reaction brigades, and senior staff roles within the Ministry of Defence. He served on operations across Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan, and later transitioned to public and advisory roles linking defence, security and industry.
Ridgway was born in 1959 and educated at Marlborough College before attending the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. At Sandhurst he trained alongside officers destined for regiments such as the Parachute Regiment, Royal Green Jackets, and Scots Guards. His formative education included courses at the Staff College, Camberley and the Royal College of Defence Studies, institutions attended by contemporaries who later served in the NATO command structure, the Permanent Joint Headquarters, and the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom.
Commissioned in 1978 into the Parachute Regiment, Ridgway's early career involved postings to battalions that deployed on operations to Northern Ireland during the Troubles. He completed parachute and airborne training associated with units such as 16 Air Assault Brigade and undertook staff appointments at brigade and divisional level. His operational tours included service related to the Falklands War aftermath, peacekeeping in Bosnia and Herzegovina under UNPROFOR and IFOR, multinational stabilization duties in Kosovo with NATO KFOR, and command roles during deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Telic and Operation Herrick.
Ridgway served in the SAS, where he held troop and squadron command and was involved in counter-terrorism and special reconnaissance operations alongside allied special forces such as the US Army Special Forces, United States Navy SEALs, and elements of the French special forces. He led units on operations that interfaced with national agencies like the Security Service (MI5), Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), and the GCHQ. His tenure in the SAS saw cooperation with coalition partners during the Kosovo War, Iraq War, and the early Afghanistan campaigns, and coordination with commands including Special Forces Support Group and Joint Special Forces Aviation Wing.
Promoted to senior ranks, Ridgway commanded formations such as 3 Commando Brigade-equivalent rapid reaction elements and served in principal staff roles at the Ministry of Defence and Permanent Joint Headquarters. He held appointments that required liaison with the Cabinet Office, NATO Allied Command Transformation, and the European Union Military Staff. His responsibilities included force generation, capability development, and contingency planning for operations under mandates from bodies like the United Nations Security Council and NATO. He worked alongside senior defence figures who led initiatives on counter-insurgency, intelligence reform, and joint capability programmes such as the Joint Expeditionary Force.
Ridgway's service was recognised through appointments and decorations within the British honours system, including investiture in the Order of the British Empire and the Order of the Bath. He received operational commendations for leadership on deployments in theatres such as Iraq and Afghanistan, and was referenced in official honours lists alongside contemporaries decorated for service in Kosovo and Bosnia. He has been associated with awards that reflect contributions to multinational operations under NATO and United Nations auspices.
Following retirement from active duty, Ridgway took on advisory and non-executive roles linking the defence sector, industry and academia. He has worked with defence technology firms, served on boards with remit over defence procurement and research, and engaged with think tanks such as the Royal United Services Institute and the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He has participated in conferences hosted by institutions including the Chatham House and delivered talks at universities like the University of Oxford and King's College London on topics intersecting security, resilience and capability development. Ridgway has also been involved in veteran welfare charities and organisations connected to the Royal British Legion and other service charities, contributing to initiatives on transition support and mental health for former service personnel.
Category:British Army lieutenant generals Category:Special Air Service members Category:1959 births Category:Living people