Brigadier Anthony R. Turner

Deputy Commandant-General and Deputy Director, Littoral Strike Royal Marines

Tony Turner joined the Royal Marines in 1995 on the University Cadetship Entry scheme with which he attended the University of Manchester to read English Language and Literature.

On completion of his degree he returned to complete Royal Marines Young Officer Training in 1998. He initially served as a Rifle Troop Commander in 42 Commando conducting Op PALLISER in Sierra Leone in 2000. Subsequently he took Recruit Troops through Commando training at the Commando Training Centre, near Exmouth. Thereafter he conducted further specialist training in 2002 enabling him to deploy in Troop command appointments on operational tours of Iraq, Afghanistan and numerous training tasks. As a Major he commanded at sub-unit level in Afghanistan again and on counter-piracy operations off East Africa. From 2015 to 2017 he was Commanding Officer 45 Commando Group, based in Arbroath, Scotland, and had the privilege to conduct amphibious deployments to the Mediterranean, and winter training in Norway supporting NATO. Most recently he has been the Deputy Commanding General for the Special Operations Joint Task Force on Operation INHERENT RESOLVE in Iraq and Syria.

His Staff roles have included several appointments in MoD directorates. As a Major he was responsible for the delivery of specialist capabilities during the height of the operational demands of the Iraq and Afghan conflicts. At Lieutenant Colonel level he was the lead planner for UK high risk Contingency operations, such as hostage rescue and non-combatant evacuation. Separately he has been the primary planner for the Commandant General Royal Marines’ operational Battle Staff in Portsmouth. Between Sep 2017 to Aug 2019, he was Assistant Head Special Operations in the Ministry of Defence Security, Policy and Operations Directorate in the rank of Colonel.

Tony attended the Advanced Amphibious Warfare Course and Intermediate Command and Staff Course (Land) in 2006, and the Advanced Command and Staff Course in 2011 where he also attained an MA in Defence Studies. He completed the Higher Command and Staff Course in April 2019.

He assumed the roles of Deputy Director Littoral Strike in Navy Command Headquarters and as Deputy Commandant General Royal Marines in September 2020. In these roles he is responsible for force generating the United Kingdom’s amphibious operations capability and Commando Forces.