The Lord Houghton of Richmond | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Born | 18 October 1954 Otley, West Yorkshire, England |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1974–2016 |
| Rank | General |
| Service number | 497441 |
| Commands | Chief of the Defence Staff (2013–16) Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff (2009–13) Chief of Joint Operations (2006–09) 39th Infantry Brigade (1997–99) 1st Battalion, the Green Howards (1991–94) |
| Battles / wars | The Troubles Iraq War |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) Knight Grand Commander of the Order of Military Service (Malaysia) |
| Spouse(s) |
Margaret Glover (m. 1982) |
| Other work | Constable of the Tower (2016–2022) |
| Member of the House of Lords | |
| Assumed office 20 November 2017 | |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | None (crossbencher) |
General John Nicholas Reynolds Houghton, Baron Houghton of Richmond, GCB, CBE, DL (/ˈhɔːtən/ HAW-tən; born 18 October 1954) is a retired senior British Army officer and former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of the British Armed Forces. He was appointed CDS in July 2013, following the retirement of General Sir David Richards. He served as Commanding Officer of the 1st Battalion, the Green Howards in Northern Ireland during The Troubles and later became Commander of the 39th Infantry Brigade in Northern Ireland. He deployed as Senior British Military Representative and Deputy Commanding General, Multi-National Force – Iraq during the Iraq War. Later, he became Chief of Joint Operations at Permanent Joint Headquarters and served as Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff until assuming the position of CDS. Houghton retired from the British Army in July 2016, and was succeeded as CDS by Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach.