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He was born in 1950 and spent much of his early childhood abroad before returning to England for schooling at Brambletye and Haileybury . He joined the Royal Navy in 1967, and after initial training at the Britannia Royal Naval College , Dartmouth , he underwent Fleet training in Royal Navy ships in the Far East . He then went to the University Of Exeter . Band subsequently served as a junior officer on the Minesweeper HMS Lewiston and the Frigate HMS Rothesay . He was then on exchange with the United States Navy on the Cruiser USS Belknap , shortly before she was severely damaged in a collision with ''John F. Kennedy'' on 22 November 1975 . He then underwent junior officer staff and warfare training in 1976–1977, and specialised as a Principal Warfare Officer. He served as Principal Warfare Officer and Operations Officer in the Frigate HMS Eskimo for two years. Subsequently he took command of the Minesweeper HMS Soberton in the Fishery Protection Squadron around the United Kingdom coast. Between 1981 and 1983 (a time which included the Falklands War ) Jonathon Band served as Flag Lieutenant to the Commander-in-Chief Fleet . In 1983, as a Commander , he assumed command of the frigate HMS Phoebe . This was followed at the end of 1985 by attendance at the Joint Services Defence College and an appointment in the Directorate of Defence Policy of the Ministry Of Defence . Band was promoted Captain in 1988. He conducted the study that led to the formation of Flag Officer Naval Aviation, and then took command of the Frigate HMS Norfolk and established the first Type 23 Frigate Squadron . In 1991 he became the Assistant Director Navy Plans and Programmes in the Ministry of Defence. In 1994 he was a member of the Defence Costs Study (Front Line First) Secretariat and then attended the Higher Command And Staff Course . Between 1995 and 1997 he was in command of the Aircraft Carrier HMS Illustrious , and saw the ship deployed to the Adriatic in support of United Nations , and then for NATO operations in Bosnia , a short deployment for bilateral Joint training with United States Forces, and the start of a major Royal Navy deployment to the Middle and Far East . Promoted Rear Admiral in May 1997, he returned to the Ministry of Defence as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff. He left this appointment in December 1999 and assumed the position of Team Leader of the Defence Education and Training Study in January 2000 on promotion to Vice Admiral . He became the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet in May 2001. Between September 2002 and November 2005 he served as Commander-in-Chief Fleet , responsible for the preparation and operation of the ships, submarines and aircraft of the Royal Navy based at Northwood. In that post he had a NATO command as Commander Allied Maritime Component Command, Northwood . He became First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff 7 February 2006, in succession to Admiral Sir Alan West . Jonathon Band is married to Sarah, a teacher, and has two daughters. The family lives in Southsea . He is President of the Royal Navy Volunteer Band Association, the Royal Navy Rugby Union and the Royal Naval and Royal Albert Yacht Club, and a Patron of the MTB 102 Trust. Band is a Younger Brother of Trinity House . He was appointed a Knight Commander Of The Most Honourable Order Of The Bath in the 2002 New Year's Honours List. REFERENCE |
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