ɐtˈɛndəns æt ðɪ ˈɑːɹmi stˈæf kˈɑːlɪdʒ wʌz fˈɑːloʊd baɪ tˈʊɹz ɪnðə mˈɪnɪstɹi ʌv dᵻfˈɛns ænd dᵻɹˈɛktɚɹˌeɪt ʌv spˈɛʃəl fˈoːɹsᵻz, ɐ sˈiːkwəns pˈʌŋktʃuːˌeɪɾᵻd ɪnðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi sˈɪks slˈæʃ sˈɛvən ˌækədˈɛmɪk jˈɪɹ wɛn hiː stˈʌdid fɚɹən ˌɛmˈeɪ dɪstˈɪŋkʃən ɪn wˈɔːɹ stˈʌdiz æt kˈɪŋz kˈɑːlɪdʒ lˈʌndən.
Attendance at the Army Staff College was followed by tours in the Ministry of Defence and Directorate of Special Forces, a sequence punctuated in the 1986/7 academic year when he studied for an MA (Distinction) in War Studies at King's College London.