Brigadier Ed Cartwright

Commander 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team

Brigadier Ed Cartwright commissioned into The Parachute Regiment in 2002 and commanded a rifle platoon during the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Two tours of Northern Ireland followed, the first with The Parachute Regiment, the second on attachment to The Royal Irish Regiment. From 2006, he commanded on operations during three tours of Iraq and two in Afghanistan. In 2014 he was awarded the OBE for his support to the counter-ISIS coalition. In 2025 he was awarded the CBE for his role as the Chief of the Defence Staff’s Liaison Officer in Eastern Europe. On the staff, Ed has served as the Military Assistant to the Chief of the General Staff, and in Media Operations and Operation and Plans in the Ministry of Defence. He studied Geography at Oxford University and gained a Masters in International Relations and Security Studies from King’s College London as part of the Advanced Command and Staff College. Ed assumed command of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team in June 2025.