Brigadier Rob Alston [GBR]

Chief of Joint Fires and Influence NATO Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC)

Brigadier Alston commissioned into the British Army in 1999 and his first role was as a platoon commander in a GBAD battalion. He supported two different infantry battlegroups on exercises in the UK and Canada and deployed on peacekeeping operations with the United Nations to Cyprus. Brigadier Alston was posted in 2003 to a light role close support artillery battalion as a forward observer, returned to Cyprus on operations and then deployed to the jungles of Belize on exercise. Taking over as Adjutant in 2006, he deployed on operations to Iraq. Following promotion to Major in 2008 and after a year at Staff College he was posted to the UK Ministry of Defence where he was heavily involved in the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review. He assumed the role of battery commander of an armoured close support sub-unit in 2011. Exercises in Canada and Kenya preceded deployment to Afghanistan in 2012 in support of an infantry battlegroup. Postings as the operations officer of HQ 3 (UK) Div, a further year at Staff College and a year in recruiting followed, before Brig Alston assumed command in 2016 of a close support artillery battalion, supporting 7th Infantry Brigade and the Specialised Infantry Group. He was posted to Army HQ in 2018 as a project manager in the Personnel Directorate. He promoted to Colonel in 2019 as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff Personnel in HQ Field Army and was subsequently posted to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in Jul 2021 as its Chief of Staff. Brig Alston assumed his current role of Chief Fires and Influence in HQ ARRC in June 2023. He is married to Michelle who is the Chief Executive of a charity in the Armed Forces sector and is a proud dad to two school-age daughters.