Born in 1950, Jonathon Band spent much of his early childhood abroad before returning to England for schooling at Brambletye and Haileybury. He joined the RN in 1967 and, having trained at BRNC Dartmouth, underwent Fleet training in ships in the Far East. This was followed by three years at Exeter University as an undergraduate.

After graduation he served in junior officer appointments in Her Majesty’s Ships Lewiston and Rothesay and on exchange with the United States Navy in USS Belknap. This period saw service throughout the world. Following junior officer staff and warfare training in 1976-1977 he served for two years as Principal Warfare Officer and Operations Officer in the Frigate HMS Eskimo. This appointment included deployments to the West Indies and South Atlantic.

Subsequently he commanded the minesweeper HMS Soberton for nearly two years in the Fishery Protection Squadron around the UK coast. Between 1981 and 1983 Jonathon Band served as Flag Lieutenant to Commander-in-Chief Fleet, a period which included the Falklands Campaign. Promoted Commander in 1983, he assumed command of the frigate HMS Phoebe, operating in the NATO area, at the time of the RN’s first operational experience with surface ship towed passive sonar. This was followed at the end of 1985 by attendance at the Joint Services Defence College and a subsequent appointment to the Defence Staff in the Ministry of Defence in the Directorate of Defence Policy.

Promoted Captain in 1988, he commanded HMS Norfolk and established the first Type 23 Frigate Squadron. Thereafter, in 1991, he became the Assistant Director Navy Plans and Programmes in the Ministry of Defence, a period that saw the implementation of the “Options for Change�?Review. In 1994 he was a member of the Defence Costs Study (Front Line First) Secretariat and, prior to returning to command at sea, attended the Higher Command and Staff Course. His last Sea Command between 1995 and 1997 was the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. The period included two operational deployments to the Adriatic in support of United Nations, and then NATO operations in Bosnia.

Promoted Rear Admiral in May 1997, he returned to the Ministry of Defence as Assistant Chief of Naval Staff. This appointment included the period of the Strategic Defence Review, the subsequent significant change programme that resulted from it and the Kosovo Campaign. He left this appointment in December 1999 and assumed the position of Team Leader of the Defence Education and Training Study in January 2000 on promotion to Vice Admiral. He became the Deputy Commander-in-Chief Fleet in May 2001 and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath in the 2002 New Year’s Honours List.

He was promoted Admiral on 2 August 2002 on becoming Commander-in-Chief Fleet and Commander Allied Maritime Component Command - Northwood. This period in Command saw the 2003 Iraq Campaign, the major reorganisation of the Fleet Command and subsequent changes in NATO. He was appointed First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff in February 2006.

Jonathon Band is the President of the Royal Navy Volunteer Band Association, the Royal Navy Rugby Union and the Royal Naval and Royal Albert Yacht Club. The Patron of the MTB 102 Trust, he is also a Younger Brother of Trinity House.

The First Sea Lord maintains effective command and control of the Royal Navy by means of three principal headquarters:

• Fleet Headquarters

• Naval Home Command

• Defence Logistics Organisation (via Director General Logistics Fleet)