Jonathon Band

Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, GCB, DL, ADC (born 2 February 1950), from 2006 to 2009, was the First Sea Lord of the United Kingdom, the most senior serving officer in the Royal Navy. Before serving as First Sea Lord he was Commander-in-Chief Fleet. Since becoming First Sea Lord, Band had been a firm advocate of the creation of new ships to meet new threats and maintain the status of the Royal Navy as one of the world's leading naval forces.

Education

Born in 1950, Band spent much of his early childhood abroad. On his return to the UK, Band attended two independent schools: Brambletye School, a preparatory school, in Ashurst Wood, West Sussex, and from the age of thirteen, Haileybury and Imperial Service College. At school, Band was a Petty Officer in the Combined Cadet Force.

He entered the Royal Navy in 1967, before undertaking sea training in the Far East. He returned to the UK on an undergraduate programme and studied for three years at the University of Exeter, gaining a BA in 1972.

1970s

After graduating from Exeter, he served in junior officer appointments in HMS Lewiston and HMS Rothesay. In the mid 1970s, he undertook an exchange programme with the United States Navy and served onboard the guided missile cruiser, USS Belknap, which is now no longer in service. Following warfare training in 1976 and 1977 he served for two years as the Principal Warfare Officer and Operations Officer...
Read More