{{Short description|British Army general (born 1958)}} {{Use British English|date=September 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Major General | name = David Rutherford-Jones | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CB}} | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1958|8|11}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = British Army | service_years = 1977–2011 | rank = Major General | service_number = 504501 | unit = | commands = The Light Dragoons<br/>20th Armoured Brigade<br/>Royal Military Academy Sandhurst | battles = United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus<br/>Kosovo War<br/>Iraq War | awards = Companion of the Order of the Bath<br/>Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service | relations = | other_work = }} Major General '''David John Rutherford-Jones''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100|CB}} (born 11 August 1958) is a retired British Army officer and former Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
==Early life== Rutherford-Jones was born on 11 August 1958<ref name=bio>[http://www.nato.int/kfor/structur/whoswho/cv/bio_rutherford.htm NATO Biography]</ref> and educated at Lancing College, West Sussex, from 1972 to 1976.<ref name="Notable OLs" />
==Military career== After attending the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, Rutherford-Jones was commissioned into the 15th/19th Hussars as a second lieutenant on 6 August 1977.<ref name="LG 20 September 1977">{{London Gazette |issue=47328 |date=20 September 1977 |page=11938 |supp=y }}</ref> He was promoted to lieutenant on 6 August 1979,<ref name="LG 3 September 1979">{{London Gazette |issue=47943 |date=3 September 1979 |page=11217 |supp=y }}</ref> to captain on 6 February 1984,<ref name="LG 6 February 1984">{{London Gazette |issue=49639 |date=6 February 1984 |page=1737 |supp=y }}</ref> and major on 30 September 1990.<ref name="LG 1 October 1990">{{London Gazette |issue=52288 |date=1 October 1990 |page=15447 |supp=y }}</ref> In 1991, he commanded B squadron, 15th/19th Hussars during a 6-month tour of duty as part of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus.<ref name=bio/>
Rutherford-Jones served as chief of staff of the 1st Mechanised Brigade from 1993 to 1996.<ref name=bio/> He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 30 June 1996.<ref name="LG 1 July 1996">{{London Gazette |issue=54453 |date=1 July 1996 |page=8911 }}</ref> He served at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe as a Staff Officer (Class 1) in the Joint Operation Centre from 1996 to 1997,<ref name=bio/> and was chief of staff of the 3rd (UK) Division prior to the Kosovo War.<ref name=bio /> He was then commanding officer of The Light Dragoons.<ref name=bio/> While CO, the regiment served for a time in the Balkans.<ref name="Blind Veterans UK - Bio" /> He was promoted to colonel on 30 June 2000,<ref name="LG 4 July 2000">{{London Gazette |issue=55901 |date=4 July 2000 |pages=7243–7244 |supp=y }}</ref> and to brigadier on 31 December 2001 with seniority from 30 June 2001.<ref name="LG 8 January 2002">{{London Gazette |issue=56446 |date=8 January 2002 |page=171 |supp=y }}</ref>
Rutherford-Jones commanded the 20th Armoured Brigade during tours of duty in Kosovo (2001/02) and Iraq (2003/04). He was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the former Yugoslavia during the period 1st October 2001 to 31st March 2002".<ref name="LG 29 October 2002">{{London Gazette |issue=56734 |date=29 October 2002 |page=3 |supp=y }}</ref> He became Director of the Royal Armoured Corps in 2005,<ref name="Army Commands 1900-2011" /> and was appointed Aide de Camp to Queen Elizabeth II from 12 December 2005 to 1 October 2007.<ref name="LG 24 January 2006">{{London Gazette |issue=57881 |date=24 January 2006 |page=989 |supp=y }}</ref><ref name="LG 6 November 2007">{{London Gazette |issue=58503 |date=6 November 2007 |page=16054 |supp=y }}</ref> On 14 August 2007, he was promoted to major general and appointed Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.<ref name="LG 14 August 2007">{{London Gazette |issue=58419 |date=14 August 2007 |page=11780 |supp=y }}</ref> In September 2009, he became Military Secretary.<ref name="Army Commands 1900-2011">{{cite web|title=Army Commands 1900–2011 – Senior Army Appointments |url=http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf |accessdate=25 July 2012 |author=Colin Mackie |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705211343/http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201900-2011.pdf |archivedate=5 July 2015 }}</ref> Rutherford-Jones was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2010 Birthday Honours,<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=59446 |date=12 June 2010 |page=2 |supp=y }}</ref> and retired from the army on 25 May 2011.<ref name="LG 31 May 2011">{{London Gazette |issue=59796 |date=31 May 2011 |page=10190 |supp=y }}</ref>
Rutherford-Jones was appointed Colonel Commandant of the Royal Corps of Army Music on 31 October 2009.<ref name="LG 3 November 2009">{{London Gazette |issue=59231 |date=3 November 2009 |page=18945 |supp=y }}</ref><ref>[http://www.army.mod.uk/music/history/default.aspx Corps of Army Music]</ref>
==Later life== Upon retirement, Rutherford-Jones became Chief Executive of the charity Morden College.<ref name="Notable OLs">{{cite web|title=Notable OLs|url=http://www.lancingcollege.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=251&Itemid=191|publisher=Lancing College|accessdate=14 July 2012}}</ref> He has been a trustee of Blind Veterans UK since 2011.<ref name="Blind Veterans UK - Bio">{{cite web |title=Major General David Rutherford-Jones, CB |url=http://www.blindveterans.org.uk/about-us/patrons-and-governing-body/trustees/major-general-david-rutherford-jones,-cb/ |publisher=Blind Veterans UK |accessdate=19 July 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120714051607/http://www.blindveterans.org.uk/about-us/patrons-and-governing-body/trustees/major-general-david-rutherford-jones%2C-cb |archivedate=14 July 2012 }}</ref>
==Personal life== Rutherford-Jones is married to Sarah and has two children: George and Alice.<ref name="h4h bio">{{cite web|title=Major General David Rutherford-Jones|url=http://www.help4heros.org.uk/BIOGrutherford.html|publisher=Help for Heroes|accessdate=14 July 2012}}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Peter Pearson}} {{s-ttl|title=Commandant of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst|years=2007–2009}} {{s-aft|after=Patrick Marriott}} |- {{s-bef|before=Mark Mans}} {{s-ttl|title=Military Secretary|years=2009–2011}} {{s-aft|after=Andrew Gregory}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherford-Jones, David}} Category:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Category:People educated at Lancing College Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:British Army major generals Category:15th/19th The King's Royal Hussars officers Category:Light Dragoons officers Category:13th/18th Royal Hussars officers Category:British Army personnel of the Iraq War Category:Commandants of Sandhurst Category:Companions of the Order of the Bath Category:Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service Category:Military personnel of the Kosovo War Category:20th-century British Army personnel