Chief of the General Staff expresses gratitude to all dedicated personnel serving over Christmas

Chief of the General Staff General Sir Patrick Sanders has shared his gratitude for the "dedication, the service and the commitment" of the UK's Armed Forces. 

In a special Christmas message dedicated to serving personnel and their families, Gen Sanders spoke about his own experience of serving overseas during the festive period. 

He said: "I've served on operations on a number of Christmases and in some respects, they are some of the most remarkable memories I have, because of the sense of family that you generate on those overseas deployments, and sharing Christmas with your mates from the battalion or the regiment or the units that you're serving with." 

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However, in his first Christmas message since taking on the role of Chief of the General Staff in June 2022, the head of the British Army said he is "very conscious" that many people watching the message will be away from their families over Christmas and wants to reassure them that while they may be out of sight, they "are very much in our mind and in our prayers".