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Major General Buster Howes OBE
Operation Commander EU Naval Force
Major General Buster Howes OBE
was educated at Christ’s Hospital, and York and London Universities. He was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1982. The majority of his regimental experience has been within the United Kingdom’s Amphibious Force, within which he has commanded at every level from troop to brigade.
With the exception of a tour in Northern Ireland, all his operational experience has been gained within a multi-national environment. In the First Gulf War, he served as the Regimental SO3 Operations in the 2nd Marine Division, conducting amphibious operations in the Northern Arabian Gulf. In Bosnia, he served as the SO2 Plans in the Rapid Reaction Force Operations Staff of UNPROFOR. He returned to the Gulf in 2003 as the Commanding Officer of 42 Commando, for which he was awarded the OBE. In 2007, he served as Chief Joint Coordination and Effects in HQ ISAF X in Kabul.
His staff experience has been gained exclusively within the Naval and Joint Staffs. On the Naval Staffs, he worked as the SO2 N1 in CINCFLEET, the SO1 Strategy within the Naval Staff Directorate of the Ministry of Defence, subsequently returning as the 1-Star Director of the Naval Staff. In the Joint Staffs, he served as a Divisional Director at the UK Joint Command and Staff College, as Chief of Staff to the Commander UK Amphibious Force, and most recently as Head of Overseas Operations in the Ministry of Defence.
He has attended the Royal Navy Staff Course at Greenwich, the Higher Command and Staff Course, the Royal College of Defence Studies and the Pinnacle Course.
He has been appointed as Commander of the United Kingdom Amphibious Force and Commandant General Royal Marines from February 2010 and from June 2010 he assumed the appointment of Operation Commander EU NAVFOR Somalia.
He has twin daughters and his interests are teaching them table manners and repairing things they break. In his spare time he enjoys mountaineering, gardening, art and ideas.
- Rear Admiral Thomas J. Ernst
Deputy Operation Commander EU Naval Force
Rear Admiral Thomas J. Ernst
Born in 1956 and raised in the south-western state „Saarland“, Ernst was educated to A-level in the city of Saarbrücken, majoring in the classical languages Latin and Greek.
He joined the Navy in 1976 and, after initial training at the Naval Academy “Marineschule Mürwik” and on board the Training Ships “Gorch Fock” and “Deutschland”, he attended the Armed Forces University in Munich. In 1980, he earned a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering and was selected for Naval Aviation, starting his undergraduate pilot training in the US at Sheppard Air Force Base. After receiving his pilot wings in 1983, and successfully converting to the Tornado fighter bomber at RAF Cottesmore, he began his career as a naval aviator at Naval Air Wing 1 in 1984.
During the second half of the 80’s he achieved “combat ready” status, and, being a fully qualified line pilot, he oversaw the introduction of the AGM 88 (HARM) weapon system into Naval Air Arm’s operational service.
In 1989, he took over company command at the Armed Forces University in Hamburg and in 1991, by then promoted to Lieutenant-Commander, he was selected for the Admiral Staff Course at the Ecole Supérieure de Guerre Naval (ESGN) in Paris, France. Upon his return to Germany in 1993, he assumed command of No 1 Squadron at Naval Air Wing 1 in Schleswig. After having enjoyed an extremely rewarding two years as Squadron Commander, he joined the Ministry of Defence as Staff Officer Personnel (Detailer) Navy Air. In 1998, Ernst was selected to command for a second time, taking command of the Flying Group Naval Air Wing 2 in Eggebeck, Northern Germany. The group consisted of 5 squadrons with 50 Tornado aircraft. After another two years of active flying in command, a second engagement at the MOD awaited him. From 2000 to 2002, Ernst served as a Military Assistant to the German Chief of Defence (CHOD) in Berlin.
He was promoted to Captain in 2002 and joined HQ SACLANT in Norfolk, Va. as Branch Head Politico-Military Affairs for a 3-year tour of duty. Having returned to Germany in 2005, he again, after a brief period of conceptual work on the future German Centre of Excellence for maritime operations in confined and shallow waters (CoE CSW), joined the MODs Personnel Directorate as Branch Head “Naval Personnel”. In 2007, Ernst became Chief of Staff to State Secretary Dr. Wichert at the Ministry of Defence in Bonn and Berlin.
Hereafter, he took command of the Marineschule Mürwik 31st March 2010. Promoted to Rear Admiral he assumed position as Deputy Commander EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta on 4th June 2010.
Thomas Ernst lives with his wife Patricia-Ann and his daughter Theresia near the city of Schleswig.
REAR ADMIRAL PHILIPPE COINDREAU
Force Commander EU Naval Force
Rear Admiral Philippe COINDREAU
married and father of three children,was born in Toulon on June 12, 1959.
He entered the French Naval Academy in 1979. After the officers’ training session on the helicopter-carrier Jeanne d’Arc, and an assignment on the cruiser Colbert, he chose the specialty of pilot of the Naval Aviation. In January 1983, he joined the Academy of certificated naval aviation officers located in SALON DE PROVENCE, before following his training on multi-engine aircraft. In July 1984, he qualified as a Naval Aviation Pilot.
Assigned in November 1984 within the squadron 21F in NIMES-GARONS as a pilot on BRÉGUET ATLANTIC aircraft, he took part in the Silure operation from Gabon in 1985.Promoted to lieutenant in August 1986, he was assigned to the squadron 22F as an aircraft commander. Deployed in mission in Djibouti in August 1987, he participated in the beginning of the Prométhée operation. From November to December 1988, he was sent in mission to Chad within the context of the Épervier operation.
In September 1989, he was named as an instructor onboard the Jeanne d’Arc, then he joined the squadron 23F in September 1990. He was then involved in operationally bringing into service the ATLANTİQUE 2.
In September 1993, he was assigned to NÎMES-GARONS within the Maritime Patrol Training Cell, in charge of the operational monitoring of maritime patrol crews.
In September 1994, he joined the War College in PARİS and was then assigned to the Joint Operational Center of the Defense Staff within the Yugoslavia crisis cell.
From 1996 to 1998, he was in command of the squadron 23 F established in Lann-Bihoué station in LORİENT.In September 1998, he was assigned to the Tactical Staff of the admiral in command of the Naval Action Force and, in 1999, he participated in the Trident operation in the Adriatic onboard the aircraft-carrier Foch during the Kosovo conflict. In 2000, he took part in the last campaign of the Foch for the Myrrhe mission.
In April 2001, he received the command of the frigate Surcouf based in TOULON. After a Corymbe mission in the Guinea Gulf between June and July 2001, he participated in the Héracles operation off the Iran’s and Pakistan’s coasts, from February to May 2002.
In September 2002, he was assigned to the Staff of the Commander of the Mediterranean Maritime Zone in TOULON and became head of the Naval Air Force Division.
In July 2003, he was named as the Commander of Lann-Bihoué Naval Air station.
In September 1st 2005, he attended the 55th class of the Center of Advanced Military Studies (CHEM) and the 58th class of the Institute for Advanced Defenses Studies (IHEDN).
From July 2006 to Septembre 2009, he was assigned as military assistant of the General Secretary for Administration of the Ministry of Defense.
In September 2009, he joined the High Readiness Force Maritime Headquarters as deputy.
