Tom Tugendhat has just left the British Army after a career in which he served on operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and, most recently, as the military assistant to the Chief of the Defence Staff. He worked on everything from operational command to establishing the Armed Forces Muslim Association. He also worked for the Foreign Office and helped set up the National Security Council of Afghanistan and the government in Helmand Province.
Having grown up in London and Sellinge, near Ashford, he read Theology at Bristol University where he also worked in the local homeless shelter in the St Paul’s area. Tom then studied for a Masters’ degree in Islamics at Cambridge University. His study included learning Arabic in Yemen.
After graduating, Tom went to Beirut as a journalist where he wrote about the conflict as well as regional politics and economics. He saw first hand the threat of radicalism and the trends that later became clear with the growth of Al Qaeda.
Spotting a gap in the market he also established one of Lebanon’s first public relations companies and won major international clients. On returning to the UK, Tom was a management consultant before going into energy analysis in the City. At the same time he joined the Territorial Army.
When the Iraq War broke out in 2003, Tom was mobilised as an Arabic-speaking intelligence officer to serve with the Royal Marines. He went in as part of Op TELIC, the invasion of Iraq. After the war he returned to his job in the City but was asked to help with the distribution of the New Iraqi Dinar. Over the next six months he ran the central region – Baghdad and surrounding cities – and distributed some $4.5 billion-worth of cash.
The next year saw a series of projects conducted on behalf of the British government including helping improve the Moroccan ports to ensure they were compliant with modern protocols. In 2005, Tom was asked by the British government to go to Afghanistan and grow the National Security Council. Working the Dari language, the project involved setting the strategic goals for a new office that coordinated Afghanistan’s strategic advice to President Karzai.
When one of the members of the National Security Council was named governor of Helmand Province, he asked for Tom to go with him as his adviser. Together, and this time working in Pashto, the language of southern Afghanistan, they set up the first non-warlord administration in Helmand since the Soviet invasion.
After two years in Afghanistan Tom returned to the UK but his former Royal Marines unit was deploying to Helmand and asked him to go too. He agreed to be mobilised and served operationally for a further two years, for which he received the MBE, coming off his last patrol in July 2009.
On returning to the UK, Tom was asked by the new Chief of the General Staff (the head of the British Army) to work on the Army Strategy Team helping prepare for the Strategic Defence and Security Review. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel.
When the Chief of the General Staff was made Chief of the Defence Staff (the professional head of the British Armed Forces) he asked Tom to accompany him as military assistant and principal adviser. Tom left the post and the Army on completing the duty in July 2013.
Tom is married to Anissia and they are nervously expecting their first child in the spring. They are both delighted to be moving to Tonbridge and look forward to meeting people over the coming year before campaigning hard to win the next election for the Conservative Party.