 Barrons ' first field officer promotion was to major in September 1991 . He was sent to Germany to take up a position as chief of staff , 11 Armoured Brigade , which then deployed to the Balkans in 1993 . Barrons then served briefly as Balkans desk officer at the Directorate of Military Operations and before becoming battery commander of B Battery , 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery from 1994 – 1996 , which included a tour of duty in Northern Ireland . He was promoted to lieutenant colonel on 30 June 1997 . After promotion , he served again in Bosnia , as Military Assistant ( MA ) to the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina and then , back in the UK , as MA to the Chief of the General Staff . 
