A four-star general commanding the cyber and intelligence wing of the military is set to retire.

General Sir Chris Deverell, the commander in charge of the Joint Force Command (JFC), is leaving his post on May 9.

The JFC manages the joint capabilities of the three-armed services which also includes intelligence gathering, special forces and cybersecurity.

The Harrow Times had the chance to sit down with the general at his home near the Northwood base to discuss his career and his future.

Sir Chris first got into the army under a scholarship to go to university at the age of 18 he enlisted into the 2nd armoured regiment as a tank commander.

He said: “The army gave me a scholarship for university, and in return for the scholarship I had to do five years in the Army.

However, Sir Chris’s interest as a young soldier lay with bobsleigh, and he credited the sport with keeping him in the army for his first five years.

“I thought I was going to leave, but at the time I was doing something interesting - I was bob sleighing at the time, and I ended up staying and getting promoted and went up the ladder.

“At the five-year point I was in the Army Bobsleigh Team, and that meant you got to go bobsleighing every month of winter.

“When I was older, I got a job in London working on plans for a new tank.

“I hadn’t realised that at that point I was always looking two maybe three years ahead and kept doing things that made me want to stay.”

“I woke up in my forties and thought hell this is what I do.”

The 58-year-old general also gave praise to the local community that surrounds the base in Northwood.

Such as during remembrance day services roads were blocked off by Harrow residents so that a veteran’s parade could carry on despite the council deciding not to shut down routes for traffic.

Large numbers of the staff and civilians on the base also live in the nearby area, and many of the soldiers have settled down roots near the base.

“I love Harrow, the people here have been very welcoming to us, and we are also a part of the borough now.

“Our children go to the same schools and live in the same area,

“The people interact with us on a day to day basis.”

Sir Chris made it clear that the base employs large numbers of Harrow locals and positions are open.

“You don’t have to join the army to help us you can be part of the civilian contractors or even the civil service.”

Sir Chris will be passing over command to his successor next week and plans to make the most of his retirement out west near Bath.

If you would like to consider a job at the JFC then you should visit their site at:

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