General Buster Howes was educated at Christ’s Hospital and York and London Universities and was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1982. Initially, he served as a troop commander in 42 Commando RM, deploying for the first time on operations, in Northern Ireland. After training a recruit troop, he qualified as a Mountain Leader and was then posted to Recce Troop, 45 Commando RM. After a stint as AdC to Major General Training, Reserve and Special Forces RM, he was appointed to the 2nd Marine Division, USMC, as a Regimental Operations Officer (for the First Gulf War). He subsequently commanded Charlie Company, 40 Commando RM; Commando Training Wing at CTCRM; 42 Commando RM (for the Second Gulf War); and 3 Commando Brigade.

He has worked in personnel policy, in the Fleet HQ; as a planner in the Rapid Reaction Force Operations Staff of UNPROFOR, in Bosnia; and as a strategist in the Naval Staff Directorate, in MOD. He has attended the Naval Staff College, the Higher Command and Staff Course, the Royal College of Defence Studies and the Pinnacle Course. He has served as a Divisional Director for ICSC(L) at the JSCSC, and as COS to Commander Amphibious Forces (CAF). He was Chief Joint Co-ordination and Effects, in HQ ISAF X in Kabul and then Director Naval Staff, in 2007. He served as Head of Overseas Operations in MOD before being appointed Commandant General Royal Marines/CAF in February 2010. He is a member of the Navy Board and became Commander of Operation ATALANTA in June 2010.

He is Captain of Deal Castle and is President of the Royal Marines Mountaineering Club and Vice President of the RNRM Children’s Fund Charity. He has twin daughters and his interests range from teaching them table manners and repairing the things that they break, to mountaineering, gardening, art and ideas.

(Current as of October 2011)