Colonel Christopher Hilary Vernon, is a British Army officer. In 2003, Colonel Vernon gained international attention as the senior spokesman for the British Landforces during the

2003 invasion of Iraq The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...

. Vernon was commissioned into the Queen's Own Hussars (later Queen's Royal Hussars) from the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...

in 1976. Prior to serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Colonel Vernon served in

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and He ...

in 1995. During his time in Bosnia in 1995, he served as the spokesman for (UNPROFOR) under the command of General Sir Rupert Smith. Most recently Vernon was Chief of Staff for NATO forces in southern Afghanistan. Colonel Vernon was cited in the Canada Gazette on 7 April 2007 having been decorated with the Canadian Meritorious Service Medal. The citation reads as follows: "Colonel Vernon of the British Army served as chief of staff of the Multinational Brigade — Regional Command South, in Afghanistan, from February to October 2006. A strategic thinker and master organizer, he established a multinational headquarters that began effective operations immediately upon entry into theatre. The success of combat operations was largely attributed to his planning abilities and knowledge of tactics and operations. He made an invaluable contribution to information operations, interacting with Afghan National Army Corps personnel and coordinating British resources. Through his actions supporting the strategic goals of the Canadian mission in Afghanistan, Colonel Vernon has brought great credit to the United Kingdom, to the Canadian Forces and to Canada."

References

Queen's Own Hussars officers Queen's Royal Hussars officers Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Year of birth missing (living people) Living people British Army personnel of the Iraq War {{UK-army-bio-stub