James Hockenhull

Hockenhull was born on 27 July 1964 in Havant, Hampshire, England.[1] He was educated at the Royal Hospital School, Ipswich, and the University of York.[2]

Hockenhull was commissioned into the Intelligence Corps in 1986.[2] After operational service in Northern Ireland, he became an instructor at the United States Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, in 2003 before being deployed as Chief, Campaign Plans at Headquarters Multi-National Force – Iraq in December 2005.[2] He went on to be Deputy Director Force Development in August 2006, Chief, Plans at Headquarters Allied Rapid Reaction Corps in Afghanistan in 2008 and Director ISTAR at Headquarters Land Forces in 2008.[2] After that he became Head Military Strategic Planning at the Ministry of Defence in September 2011, Director of the Ministry of Defence Advisory Group in Kabul in June 2012,[3] and Director Cyber, Intelligence and Information Integration in March 2015.[2] He was appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence in 2018 and promoted to lieutenant general.[4][5]

Hockenhull was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for service in Northern Ireland on 22 November 1994,[6] awarded a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service "for gallant and distinguished services in Northern Ireland" in 1999,[7] appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for service in Northern Ireland on 30 September 2003,[8] and Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 2021 New Year Honours.[9] He has also been awarded two decorations by the United States: the Bronze Star Medal in 2006, and an Officer of the Legion of Merit in 2017.[1]