Career

Educated at King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, Milton joined the Royal Marines in 1967 and subsequently became an equerry to the Duke of Edinburgh. He became Commanding Officer of 40 Commando in 1992 (in which role he was deployed to Northern Ireland and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire), Commander of 3 Commando Brigade in 1995 and Director General for Joint Doctrine and Concepts (a post established following the Strategic Defence Review) in 1999. He went on to be Commandant-General Royal Marines in May 2002 and took over as British Maritime Commander for Operation Telic – the invasion of Iraq – in April 2003 before retiring in February 2004.