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Changeover of Command
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Lieut Colonel John Perez yesterday took over as the Commanding Officer of The Royal Gibraltar Regiment from Lieut Colonel Mark Randall.
John Perez was born on 3 March 1967, and joined the Regular Cadre of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment in 1985 after having completed his Basic Training at the Royal School of Artillery, Woolwich. Within five years he reached the rank of Corporal and was then selected for officer training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In 1991 when the Gibraltar Regiment was re-roled into all-infantry unit, he was commissioned into the Regiment and became one of its first Platoon Commanders and later Company Second-in-Command of the then newly established G Company. In 1992, he was attached to the Royal Regiment of Wales and served as a Platoon Commander in Hong Kong and then from 1993 to 1994 he assumed the role of Infantry Safety Officer at the British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS), Canada.
In November 1994 he was promoted to Captain and was posted to Omagh, Northern Ireland for 2 years as Platoon Commander with the 1st Battalion Princess of Wales?s Royal Regiment. On completion of the operational tour, he returned to Gibraltar as Adjutant and in April 1998 he was the key figure behind the Regiment's firing of a 62 Gun Salute at The Tower of London. This was an historic occasion, given that it was the first time that any unit, other than the Honourable Artillery Company has done so. He was also responsible for the planning and execution of the Presentation of New Colours parade in July 1998 at which HRH The Duke of Kent was the Presenting Officer.
Following promotion to Major in September 1998, he was appointed SO3 Coord at the Regular Commissions Board (RCB) based at Westbury. In June 2000, he returned to Gibraltar and assumed command of G Coy. Within a few weeks of taking over his new responsibilities he planned and executed the first high profile company level Overseas Training Exercise to Morocco (Ex JEBEL SAHARA). Ex JEBEL SAHARA was a most demanding and successful exercise, which set the pattern for subsequent and more ambitious exercises in Morocco involving other Army units and the RAF. For his work in Ex JEBEL SAHARA he was awarded the MBE in June 2003.
From February to August 2004, he deployed on Operation TELIC as SO2 Training Coalition Military Advisory Team in a training camp North of Baghdad supporting the New Iraqi Army. The 300 strong team he commanded, consisted of British, American, Australian and Jordanian Forces. Responsibilities involved training the new Iraqi Army to support coalition operations around Baghdad often under dangerous situations. Additionally, he remains the only British officer to have led a United States Marine Corps unit in Iraq. He was further responsible for the setting up and tactical instruction of the Iraqi Intervention Force to fight alongside the US Marines within the Sunni Triangle around Baghdad. Major Perez was awarded an American Bronze Star Award for his actions on Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.
On his return to the Regiment, Major Perez took over as the Battalion?s Second-in-Command and has recently attended the Commanding Officers? Designate Course at Warminster. He is t become the Commanding Officer of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment as Lieut. Colonel.
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