“The year ahead is therefore a significant opportunity for the Association to draw upon its heritage, the wisdom of long serving Members and the vitality of its most recent Members. Weaving these strengths together for the benefit of the wider military community is my immediate focus.”
Prior to the Army, Suffolk-born Barry worked in the offshore oil industry, before going to Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. He has since commanded national and international forces up to brigade formation level, and seen active service in Northern Ireland, the Falkland Islands, the Gulf, the Balkans, Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan. Stints in between have taken him to the Cabinet Office, a NATO appointment, Army Headquarters and Chief of Staff roles in field formations.
Fortunately he witnessed no casualties amongst his first Regiment’s time in Northern Ireland but early days of the Balkans campaign saw a fellow Sapper lose his leg to a loose rocket, initiating debate on compensation for injured UK soldiers on a UN mission.
Long term resident of Cardiff, Barry served with the UN in Sierra Leone during the devastating, almost decade long, conflict that fostered amputation as a favoured fear-inducing tactic of the rebel forces. The surviving casualties are evident across the country today.
As professional head of the Corps of Royal Engineers, concentrated upon generating sufficient military engineers with the right equipment, training and procedures, primarily for campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, Barry was heavily involved in the challenge of building up the capacity to find and neutralize improvised explosive devices.
A member of Royal College of Defence Studies with specialist knowledge of the near and middle east, west Africa and security sector reform, most recently Barry served on secondment to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in Canada. Canadian Forces served alongside UK Forces in south Afghanistan and their mission has now ended.
He believes there are valuable lessons in the aftermath of the Canadian commitment for Government and Charity sectors in the UK, and their relationships with one another, the media and the public.
The only downside to joining the BLESMA team, he quips: “I have had to hang up my ice skates and hockey stick, but I admit to spending more time on the ice than on the puck anyway.”