Thomas Copinger-Symes

Major General Thomas Richardson Copinger-Symes CBE (born 1969) is a British Army officer, who served as General Officer Commanding Force Troops Command, until 2019, and currently serves as Director of Military Digitisation, UK Joint Forces Command.

Tom Copinger-Symes
Born	1969
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1992–present
Rank	Major-General
Unit	Royal Green Jackets
Commands held	5th Battalion, The Rifles; 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade; Force Troops Command; UK Joint Forces Command
Battles/wars	Afghanistan
Awards	Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Relations	Brig Rory Copinger-Symes CBE RM (bro)

Background and education

Of Anglo-Irish descent, he is a son of Colonel Wilfred Copinger-Symes OBE[1] and his wife Susan née Richardson.[2] Educated at Pangbourne College[3] Copinger-Symes went up to the University of Warwick, as a cadetship officer.[4]

Military career

Copinger-Symes was commissioned into the Royal Green Jackets in 1992.[5] He served as Commanding Officer of the 5th Battalion, The Rifles in Afghanistan between November 2011 and April 2012.[5] He became Commander of 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Brigade in April 2014, Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations) at Army Headquarters in June 2016 and GOC Force Troops Command in December 2017.[6] He went on to be Director of Military Digitisation at Joint Forces Command in 2019.[7]

As Assistant Colonel Commandant, Copinger-Symes was present at Windsor Castle in 2020 to offer the salute to The Rifles Regiment's outgoing Colonel-in-Chief, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.[8]

Honours

CBE insignia

Appointed OBE in 2012,[9] Copinger-Symes was promoted Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2017 Birthday Honours.[10]

References

1. Col. Bill Copinger-Symes
2. Burke's Irish Family Records
3. "OPs in the News" (PDF). The Pangbournian. 2016. p. 23. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
4. University of Warwick website
5. "Thomas Copinger-Symes". DESI. Archived from the original on 5 April 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
6. "Army Commands" (PDF). Retrieved 5 April 2018.
7. "Major-General Thomas Copinger-Symes". DSEI. Retrieved 10 August 2019.
8. "Transfer of the Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles". British army. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
9. "Operational honours and awards". The Times. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 14 August 2019.
10. "No. 61962". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2017. p. B6.

Military offices
Preceded by Tyrone Urch	General Officer Commanding, Force Troops Command 2017–2019	Succeeded by James Bowder