Gavin Paton Explained

Gavin Paton
Birth Place:	Cornwall, England
Allegiance:	United Kingdom
Branch:	British Army
Rank:	Major
Unit:	The Rifles
Commands:	Army Sergeant Major (2018–2021)
Battles:	Sierra Leone Civil War Iraq War War in Afghanistan
Awards:	Officer of the Order of the British Empire

Major Gavin Henderson Paton (born March 1979) is a British Army officer. From 2018 to 2021, he served as the Army Sergeant Major, the most senior warrant officer and member of the other ranks in the British Army.

Personal life

Paton was born in March 1979 in Cornwall, England. He is married to Jessica, and together they have one son.^[1]

Military career

Paton served as a warrant officer with 3rd Battalion, The Rifles.^[2] He was commissioned as a captain on 23 July 2017, and appointed as Field Army Sergeant Major in 2018.^[3] He was appointed Army Sergeant Major in November 2018, thereby becoming the most senior member of the other ranks of the British Army.^{[4] [5]}

Paton was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Army Sergeant Major: WARRANT OFFICER CLASS ONE GH PATON . www.army.mod.uk.
2. Web site: Palace Barracks. 10 November 2018.
3. Web site: Army Sergeant Major inspects the Army's latest recruits . The Military Times. 9 October 2019. 22 November 2019.
4. British Army . BritishArmy . 1060558878398693376 . 8 November 2018 . Chief of the General Staff General Mark Carleton-Smith has confirmed the appointment of WO1 Gavin Paton as the next @ArmySgtMajor, replacing WO1 Glenn Haughton @SEAC_Defence, “Big shoes to fill, but WO1 Paton is the man for the job”.
5. News: Soldier Magazine December 2018 . 30 November 2018. Soldier Magazine. Soldier Magazine.