Brigadier Chris Wright

Head of Medical Operations and Capability, Defence Medical Services 

Brigadier Chris Wright commissioned into the British Army in 1997. He has served as Regimental Medical Officer to 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, with operational tours to Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. As a Consultant in Emergency Medicine, he served further operational tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond. In 2013 he was made the Defence Consultant Advisor in Pre-Hospital Emergency Care. Chris is a graduate of the UK’s Royal Centre for Defence Studies and he is now working in the UK Ministry of Defence as 1* Head of Medical Operations and Capability. 

Col Mark Ballard

Commander Med, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps

Colonel Mark Ballard commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps 1999. He deployed to Afghanistan as a General Duties Medical Officer with 16 Medical Regiment on HERRICK 4. Training in Clinical Radiology with a fellowship in Trauma and Head and Neck imaging preceded appointment in 2013 as consultant at the RCDM. He has seen appointments as Consultant Advisor in Radiology to the Army, Defence Consultant Advisor in Radiology to the Surgeon General and the Military Clinical Director at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine. He is currently the Medical Director at the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps – the UK led Strategic Reserve Corps within NATO.

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Col Rob Wheatley

AH Strat and Plans position at DMS HQ

Col Rob Wheatley joined the Army as a Medical Cadet in 1997. During his GP training, he deployed with 5 Medical Regiment on Op TELIC 5. Promotion to Major and ICSC (L) were followed by two years as the Senior Medical Officer (SMO) to the Apache force in Wattisham and deployment on Op HERRICK 8 with 16 Bde. Maj Wheatley took command of Force Support Sqn, 5 Medical Regiment in 2012 and subsequently worked in the Army Directorate of Operations and Contingencies, planning for Op GRITROCK and Op TRENTON. He has held numerous positions at 2nd Medical Group including COS from 2017, overseeing delivery of deployed hospital care to South Sudan, and took command of 5 Medical Regiment in March 2020. He returned as Deputy Commander 2nd Medical Brigade and promoted to Colonel in Nov 22,  subsequently taking over as Commander. Focused on war fighting development of medical capability,

he completed his 2 year command appointment in March 26. Col Wheatley has now taken up the AH Strat and Plans position at DMS HQ.

Col John Walker

DCA Emergency Medicine

Colonel Jon Walker commissioned into the Royal Army Medical Corps in 2003. He has served on deployed operations in the Middle East and Africa in the roles of prehospital consultant, emergency medicine consultant and clinical director.

He attained his Consultant position in the Defence Medical Services in 2013 and undertakes his clinical work at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford where he advises on Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response. He holds an Honorary Senior Clinical Lectureship in Emergency Medicine with Oxford University and undertakes his pre-hospital clinical work with the Thames Valley Air Ambulance.

He was appointed to the post of Defence Consultant Advisor in Emergency Medicine in August 2023 and Chairs the NATO/COMEDS Emergency Medicine Panel and the Defence Medical Services Clinical Council Major Incident and MASCAL Working Group.