U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed the appointment of Gen. Sharon Nesmith as vice chief of the defense staff and aide-de-camp to the British king.
Nesmith, currently serving as the British Army’s deputy chief of the general staff, will take on the role from Gen. Gwyn Jenkins beginning in June.
She held other leadership roles in the Army, including general officer commanding the Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command, director of personnel and brigade commander.
She was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals in 1992 and spent most of her early service years in Germany, the Balkans and Iraq. Her responsibilities included providing information and communication services, command support and capability development.
According to Shapps, the general’s leadership and operational experience have prepared her to lead the Armed Forces amid an effort to modernize military capabilities in response to emerging threats.
Meanwhile, Chief of the Defence Staff Adm. Tony Radakin welcomed Nesmith as the next defense staff vice chief, noting her exemplary record of operational service that will enable her to contribute to addressing global security challenges.
Commenting about her appointment, Nesmith said she is honored to have been selected “during a period of such significant global instability.”