Meet Lieutenant General Sharon Nesmith, new deputy head of British Army
Lieutenant General Sharon Nesmith has been appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS), becoming the first female British Army officer in the role.
She is also the first female Army officer to hold the rank of Lieutenant General and is the highest-ranked female officer in British Army history.
Lt Gen Nesmith begins her new role after the appointment was approved by the Queen in April.
Who is Lt Gen Nesmith?
Growing up in Northumberland, Lt Gen Nesmith commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals in 1992.
The new DCGS spent many of her early service years in Germany, the Balkans and Iraq.
Lt Gen Nesmith is a graduate of the Higher Command and Staff Course and the Major Projects Leadership Academy.
Her service includes time as Colonel Capability Plans in the Army Headquarters, the Head of Manning as a brigadier, and the Director of Personnel as a major general.
She has provided "information and communication services, command support and capability development" in support of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, UK Joint Force Headquarters and others, the MOD said.
Major General Nesmith became the Army's first female officer to command at two-star level, upon her appointment to General Officer Commanding (GOC) Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command in January 2021.
In her role as GOC, she oversaw the recruitment and training of more than 35,000 regular and reserve officers and soldiers across 280 courses each year, the Army said.
Not only is Lt Gen Nesmith the Master of Signals, a Colonel Commandant for the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, but also serves as Vice President for Army Football and Army Rugby.
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