4 stars in HM Armed Forces

Appointments and incumbents at 4 star positions in H M Armed Forces at the time of writing and as currently announced. Biographies here or referenced to time of announcement. Payscales can be found here

 4 star appointments in H M Armed Forces

- Chief of Defence Staff

General Sir Nicholas Houghton

- Vice Chief Defence Staff

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart William Peach KCB, CBE (b 1956). Gazetted as a University Cadet 1974, commissioned on graduation pilot officer 1977.Promoted to flying officer, flight lieutenant 1978. A navigator, one tour on the English Electric Canberra in the photographic reconnaissance role, three tours on the ground attack and reconnaissance variant of the Panavia Tornado, UK and Germany. Promoted squadron leader 1986. Qualified Weapons Instructor, QCVS in the Air, 1990.

Staff College 1990. Personal Staff Officer to Deputy Commander RAF Germany, Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany, Commander Second Allied Tactical Air Force. Promoted wing commander 1991. 1994-1996 commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron. Deputy Station Commander RAF Bruggen.

Promoted group captain 1996, MPhil Cambridge. Director Defence Studies (RAF) 1997, commissioning scholarship, editing books and writing articles on air power. Appointed Assistant Director of the Higher Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College 1999 (a graduate of that course).
Commander British Forces Italy 1999-2000, NATO Air Commander (Forward) Kosovo 2000. Appointed Commandant of the Air Warfare Centre and Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence, RAF Strike Command. Promoted Air Commodore 2001.

Promoted air vice marshal 2003. Director General Intelligence Collection 2003-2006. Promoted air marshal 2006, appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence. Chief of Joint Operations 2009. Promoted air chief marshal, appointed first commander of new Joint Forces Command 2011. Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff May 2013.

- First Sea Lord/Chief of Naval Staff

Admiral Sir George Zambellas 

Admiral Sir George Michael Zambellas, KCB, DSC, ADC, DL (b. 1958). Joined the Royal Navy from the aerospace industry, commissioned acting sub-lieutenant and qualified as a pilot in 1982. Served with 814 Naval Air Squadron, 829 Naval Air Squadron and 815 Naval Air Squadron. Promoted lieutenant 1982. Trained for the naval staff at Greenwich 1990. Corporate planner for the Royal Navy's manpower and training division. Command of the mine-sweeper HMS Cattistock 1991. Aviation operations officer, Fleet Headquarters Northwood, promoted commander1994, command of the frigate HMS Argyll 1995.

Corporate planner 1997/98 SDR, operational command 1999 as captain of the frigate HMS Chatham, deployed Operation Palliser off Sierra Leone, DSC 2001. Higher Command and Staff Course at Shrivenham, Deputy Flag Officer Sea Training 2001. Promoted commodore 2002, appointed principal staff officer CDS. Served Admiral Boyce and General Walker 2003-04. Command of the Royal Navy's Amphibious Task Group 2005.

Promoted rear admiral 2006, appointed Chief of Staff (Transformation). Commander United Kingdom Maritime Force 2007, Chief of Staff (Operations) at PJHQ at Northwood 2008. Promoted vice admiral, appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Chief of Staff to Navy Command Headquarters, and Chief Naval Warfare Officer, 2011. Commander-in-Chief Fleet 2012. His role was re-designated Fleet Commander and Deputy Chief of the Naval Service, April 2012. Promoted admiral 2013. First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff April, 2013. Zambellas is a Younger Brother of Trinity House.

- Chief of General Staff

General Sir Peter Wall GCB CBE ADC (outgoing)

General Sir Nicholas Carter KCB CBE DSO (incoming)

- Chief of Air Staff

Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford

Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Douglas Pulford, KCB CBE ADC (b 1958). Joined Royal Air Force as an acting pilot officer1977. Many of his 5,000 flying hours with No. 18 Squadron. Regraded to pilot officer 1978, promoted to flying officer 1979, flight lieutenant 1981. Service in the Falklands War with C Flight on board RFA Tidespring, while on exchange service with the Royal Navy, 1982. Exchange tour Royal Australian Air Force 1985 -1987. Promoted squadron leader 1987, wing commander January 1994. Officer Commanding No. 18 Squadron 1996, Principal Staff Officer to CAS 1999.Promoted group captain 2000.

Higher Command and Staff Course, Shrivenham, 2001. Station Commander at RAF Odiham 2001. Deployed Commander Joint Helicopter Force Headquarters (JHFHQ) Op Telic in Iraq. CBE 2004. Director Air Resources and Plans at MoD 2004. Promoted to air commodore 2005. Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group with the rank of air vice marshal 2007.

Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff Operations 2008. Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at Air Command and Air Member for Personnel with the rank of air marshal in September 2010. Air Chief Marshal on appointment Chief of the Air Staff, July 2013. First helicopter pilot ever to head RAF.

- Commander Joint Forces Command

General Sir Richard Barrons  (outgoing)

General Sir Richard Lawson Barrons KCB, CBE, ADC Gen (b 1959). Early career spent in staff and field posts in UK, Europe, Far East. Worked at MoD and in education. Germany 1991. First tour of duty Balkans 1993. Staff position, tour Northern Ireland. Military Assistant to the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, CGS. Balkans, Afghanistan, staff position in Basra, Iraq, 2000-2003.

Brigadier 2003. Second tour Northern Ireland, brigade commander. Assistant Chief of Staff, Commitments, 2005. Promoted major general 2008, deployed to Baghdad with responsibility for joint operations. Served briefly with NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps. Afghanistan heading an ISAF reintegration unit

General John Lorimer DSO MBE (incoming)

Published in Ups and Outs : July 2014

- Deputy SACEUR

General Adrian Bradshaw (as of 28 March 2014)

General Sir Richard Shirreff (outgoing)