Major General Tim Cross was born in 1951 and was commissioned in 1971, having spent two years at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. In 1975 he completed an In-Service Degree at the Royal Military College of Science. He served as an Ammunition Technical Officer in N Ireland in the 70s, had a tour with the UN in Cyprus in 1980 and completed an MSc in Guided Weapons (GW), before attending the Army Staff College as a student in 1982/83. After Camberley he moved to Paris to assume a Tri-National GW appointment on the MILAN anti-tank programme.
He was a member of the Directing Staff at the Staff College in Feb 88 and in Sep 90 he assumed Command of 1 Ordnance Battalion (he had been Adjutant and a Company Commander in the Battalion previously). In a double-hatted appointment he was Commander Supply 1 (UK) Armoured Division in the 1990/91 Gulf War, Operation GRANBY / DESERT STORM.
He was promoted to Colonel and became the first Commander Logistic Support of 3 (UK) Division in Apr 93, attended the Higher Command and Staff Course in early 1995, and was selected for promotion to Brigadier in Feb 96, having served in Bosnia, with IFOR on Op RESOLUTE.
In Dec 97 he took over command of the UK logistic capability with SFOR on Op LODESTAR and, at the same time, assumed command of 101 Logistic Brigade.
In Jan 99, 101 Logistic Brigade deployed to Macedonia, Albania and Kosovo; he was the Commander of the Joint Force Logistic Component (JFLogC) for the UK Contribution to KFOR. He led the KFOR response to the Northern Macedonian Easter refugee crisis and also worked in Southern Albania helping with the refugees there. He was appointed CBE in the subsequent operational awards.
He handed over command of 101 Log Bde in Jan 00 and attended the Royal College of Defence Studies. Work between Oct 02 and Jan 03 establishing the JFLogC for current operations in the Middle East led to his current role in the US-led Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA).
Major Gen Cross is married to Christine and they have 3 children; Alexander, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy (currently deployed in N Kuwait/Iraq), Gemma, married and living in Aldershot, and Stephen, at school in Farnham; through his daughter he has two wonderful grandsons, Daniel and Harry. Actively involved in the Officers Christian Union, he is a licensed lay reader and his hobbies include golf, walking and reading/writing.
Source: Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance
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