James Cowan

James Cowan was a soldier. He joined The Black Watch from Oxford in 1986, serving in Berlin, Northern Ireland, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Hong Kong. He helped plan the Kosovo operation in 1999. He commanded in Iraq in 2004, fighting around Basra and latterly Fallujah. He returned to Iraq in 2006 and commanded in Helmand in 2009-10. He planned the military Olympic security operation of 2012. As a major general, he commanded the 3rd Division. In 2015 he become Chief Executive of the HALO Trust.