{{Short description|British Army general}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox military person | honorific_prefix = Lieutenant General | name = Sir Ian Cave | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KCB}} | image = Ian Cave (cropped).jpg | alt = | caption = | nickname = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1966}} | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | burial_place = | allegiance = United Kingdom | branch = British Army | service_years = 1987–2026 | rank = Lieutenant General | service_number = | unit = | commands = UK Military Representative to NATO<br/>Home Command<br/>Initial Training Group<br/>1st Battalion, Mercian Regiment | battles = Iraq War<br/>War in Afghanistan | awards = Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath<br/>Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service | relations = | other_work = }} Lieutenant General '''Sir Ian John Cave''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100|sep=,|KCB}} (born 1966<ref>{{Who's Who|title=Cave, Lt Gen. Sir Ian (John)|id=U283164}}</ref>) is a former senior British Army officer who was Commander Home Command from June 2021 to September 2023 and UK Military Representative to NATO and to the European Union from November 2023 to January 2026.
==Military career== Cave was commissioned into the Queen's Lancashire Regiment on 4 September 1987.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=51136|supp=y|page=14771|date=30 November 1987}}</ref> He was subsequently transferred to the Royal Welch Fusiliers on 9 February 1988.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=51289|supp=y|page=3987|date=31 March 1988}}</ref>
Cave served as commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, the Mercian Regiment and in that capacity saw action in the Iraq War in 2008,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/army-chiefs-iraq-pledge-1008529|title=Army chief's Iraq pledge|date=25 October 2007|newspaper=Manchester Evening News|accessdate=18 June 2021}}</ref> for which he was awarded a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=58999|page=4086|date=6 March 2009|supp=y}}</ref> He went on to be Commander, Initial Training Group in February 2011, Director of Training, Field Army in February 2014 and Deputy Chief of Staff (Plans), Joint Force Command Naples in July 2015.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gulabin.com/armynavy/pdf/Army%20Commands%201860-.pdf|title=Senior Army Appointments|accessdate=18 June 2021}}</ref> After that he became Chief of Staff, Field Army in April 2018, Commander Home Command in June 2021<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63386|date=15 June 2021|page=10561|supp=y}}</ref> and UK Military Representative to NATO and to the European Union from November 2023 to January 2026.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dsei.co.uk/speakers/ian-cave|title=Lieutenant General Ian Cave CB|publisher=DSEI|access-date=20 January 2024}}</ref> He retired from the British Army on 19 May 2026.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=65069|supp=y |page=10083 |date=19 May 2026}}</ref>
Cave has also been Colonel of the Mercian Regiment since 2018,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/lasting-tribute-tamworth-soldiers-killed-14837108|title=Lasting tribute to Tamworth soldiers killed in Iraq|date=28 June 2018|publisher=Birmingham Mail|access-date=22 December 2018}}</ref> and was Colonel Commandant of the King's Division, Infantry from December 2021 until December 2022.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63576|date=4 January 2022|page=23985|supp=y}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63947|page=1145|supp=y|date=24 January 2023}}</ref> He was Deputy Colonel Commandant of the Adjutant General's Corps until October 2024.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=64546 |date=22 October 2024 |supp=y |page=20855}}</ref>
==Honours== He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2020 New Year Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=62866|supp=y|page=N2|date=28 December 2019}}</ref> In the 2024 King's Birthday Honours, he was promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB).<ref>{{cite web |title=The Military division of The King's Birthday Honours List 2024 |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-military-division-of-the-kings-birthday-honours-list-2024 |website=GOV.UK |publisher=Ministry of Defence |access-date=14 June 2024 |language=en |date=14 June 2024}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue= 64423 |date= 15 June 2024 |page= B2 |supp= y }}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Sir Tyrone Urch}} {{s-ttl|title=Commander Home Command|years=2021–2023}} {{s-aft|after=Charles Seymour Collins}} |- {{s-bef|before=Sir Ben Bathurst}} {{s-ttl|title=UK Military Representative to NATO|years=2023–2026}} {{s-aft|after=Eldon Millar}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cave, Ian}} Category:1966 births Category:British Army lieutenant generals Category:British Army personnel of the Iraq War Category:British Army personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Category:Mercian Regiment officers Category:Queen's Lancashire Regiment officers Category:Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service Category:Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Category:20th-century British Army personnel Category:Living people