Major General Alex Turner of the Irish Guards has been appointed as honorary colonel of the Royal Montserrat Defence Force.
His role is in fostering ‘esprit de corps’ and supporting the leadership without being involved in daily operations, as well as to represent the unit in civilian and military communities.
Turner will carry considerable moral authority as the symbolic and ceremonial head of the regiment, a Facebook statement from the Governor’s Office said on Thursday, 5 September.
Governor Sarah Tucker said Turner as honorary colonel will bolster the support and development of the force and “I hope rekindle the positive relationship with the Irish Guards”.
“I look forward to welcoming our honorary colonel to Montserrat in the near future,” she added.
Lieutenant Colonel Alvin Ryan, Commanding Officer of the Royal Montserrat Defence Force, said he is “exceptionally proud” of the long historical association that the force has with the Irish Guards.
“Major General Turner’s appointment as honorary colonel is a signal of the special relationship that endures between the two units,” he said.
“I plan to leverage his vast operational experience to support the development of my officers and hope to have the opportunity of welcoming him to Montserrat some time very soon.”
Wealth of experience
Turner was commissioned into the Irish Guards in 1998, and has been previously deployed on operations to Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.
He served as an infantry instructor, and an observer with the United Nations on the Kuwait and Iraq border in 2002 and 2003.
He also worked as an analyst with the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence and a stint with the Directorate of Training (Army) where he designed individual training for operations.
A published military historian, he has lectured and broadcast about the First World War and is an active member of an organisation that explores and surveys Western Front tunnel systems.
Turner is also a fellow of the MacDowell Arts Colony in New Hampshire USA for creative writing, and a keen, if cautious, mountaineer.
The Irish Guards are one of the five regiments of the Household Division in the British Army, tasked with providing ceremonial duties and security for the monarchy.
Established in 1900, they are known for their distinctive uniforms and involvement in major state ceremonies, including the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.
