Lieutenant General Ian Cave commissioned into The Royal Welch Fusiliers in 1988. His initial appointment was as a rifle platoon commander in Northern Ireland, then OC Recce Platoon in Berlin (1989-1992). Other early appointments included: six months with BMATT Zimbabwe and Ops Officer 1 RWF (1995 UNPROFOR Bosnia). He was then assigned to the US Army Joint Readiness Training Centre in Louisiana for two years (1996-1997). He attended RMCS Shrivenham to study for a Masters in Defence Administration (1999) prior to the Advanced Command and Staff Course, after which he served at PJHQ in J5 Plans.

Thereafter, he commanded a rifle company in The 22nd (Cheshire) Regiment, completing a tour in NI in 2002 and Iraq in 2004. On promotion to Lieutenant Colonel in 2005 he served in the MOD working on the Iraq Information Strategy before assuming command of 1st Battalion The Cheshire Regiment in 2006. Time in command included a second tour to Iraq and the formation of The Mercian Regiment. On promotion to Colonel in 2008, he assumed the appointment of Assistant Director Commitments at HQ Land Forces and completed the Higher Command and Staff Course in 2009. On promotion to Brigadier he assumed command of the Initial Training Group in 2011. He then spent 2013 in Kabul as Chief CJ5, HQ ISAF prior to becoming Director Training, Army HQ. On promotion to Major General in 2015 he was appointed as DCOS Plans at HQ JFC Naples and then as Chief of Staff Field Army in May 2018.

In June 2021, on promotion to Lieutenant General he was appointed as Commander Home Command and the Standing Joint Commander (United Kingdom) with responsibility for engagement, recruitment, basic training, education, career management and Defence's contribution to UK resilience operations to include Op BRIDGE. He assumed the role of UK MILREP to NATO and the EU in Nov 2023.

Lieutenant General Cave is Colonel Commandant of the Infantry, Colonel of The Mercian Regiment, Assistant Colonel Commandant of the Adjutant General’s Corps (ETS), and President of Army Cycling. He is married to Caroline and has two daughters.

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