It is sad to hear that General Sir Mike Jackson has died. He was highly respected in the British Army for his blunt wisdom and fierce loyalty to the cause. Although he did not begin his military career in a combat unit, he was an archetypal Parachute Regiment officer, who understood the use of force in all its complexities.
Apart from the well-published stories of Kosovo, he was also instrumental in closing the gap with Russia during the decade when London shared military intelligence with Moscow. I remember him speaking at a secret UK-France-Russia symposium in Sussex after 9/11, when the three countries pooled information about how they were dealing with the threat of international terrorism. Sadly that entente ended when Putin began his policy of aggression against his neighbours, but it was very important when Al Qaida was at its most threatening.
In many ways, Jackson’s image became the personification of the British Armed Forces when it was at its peak. That is why I used it for the front cover of the first edition of Media Operations (JWP-45) in 2001. When I spoke to him at an event recently, he was disappointed in the way the Army has been treated since his retirement and in his blunt way gave an insightful critique of what needs to happen to put it right. As a legacy to this distinguished man, I hope his advice will be taken in the 2025 Defence Review.
Crown Copyright
Rupert Wieloch 