 After serving as Chief of Staff for 3 Commando Brigade, he became commander of 45 Commando in September 1997 in which capacity he was deployed carrying out humanitarian work in the wake of Hurricane Mitch and then became chief UK advisor to the Sierra Leone Armed Forces during Operation Palliser in 2000.He went on to be Assistant Commander Operations at Fleet Headquarters in January 2002, in which capacity he coordinated 3 Commando Brigade's deployment on Operation Jacana during the War in Afghanistan.After that he became Director of Operations for Defence Intelligence in March 2003 and commander of 3 Commando Brigade which was deployed to Afghanistan as Task Force Helmand in October 2006.