Edward Adam Butler, CBE, DSO, was born on 27 February 1962 and is a former British Army officer best known for his time in the SAS and as a senior commander in Afghanistan.
He served from 1984 to 2008, rising from a junior officer in the Royal Green Jackets to Brigadier, with a central chapter of his career as Commanding Officer of 22 SAS.
Here is all you need to know about Edward Butler.
Early career and special forces
Butler was commissioned into the Royal Green Jackets in August 1984, serving in West Germany during the Cold War and completing three operational tours in Northern Ireland, where he was mentioned in dispatches in 1991.
He later earned the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for work in the former Yugoslavia (1997) and Sierra Leone (2000), before passing selection for the SAS and eventually commanding 22 SAS from 2001 to 2002.
SAS command and Afghanistan
As CO of 22 SAS, Butler led the regiment through the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the opening phase of the war in Afghanistan, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) in 2002.
He then commanded 16 Air Assault Brigade and, in April 2006, became the first Commander of Task Force Helmand, leading around 4,500 British troops into southern Afghanistan during some of the most intense fighting of the campaign.
Decorations and honours
Butler’s decorations include the CBE (2006), the DSO (2002), a Mention in Despatches for Northern Ireland (1991), and two Queen’s Commendations for Valuable Service (Bosnia 1997; Sierra Leone 2000). He has been formally recognised by the UK government on six separate occasions for his operational service and leadership.
Post‑military career and public roles
After retiring in December 2008, Butler worked as Chief Executive of Corporates for Crisis and later as chairman and adviser to S‑RM, an intelligence and risk‑consulting firm.
He became Chief Resilience Officer at Pool Re (the government‑backed terrorism reinsurance scheme), a senior independent adviser to EDF Energy Generation, and Chair of the veterans’ charity weServed, and in 2025 was appointed Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company for 2025/26.
Education and background
Educated at Eton College and Exeter University, where he read Politics and International Relations, Butler also holds an MA in Military Technology and Defence Studies from Cranfield University.
He has spoken publicly about the strategic consequences of the Iraq war for operations in Afghanistan and, more recently, about the impact of legacy investigations on veterans, having himself been accused and later cleared of murder in relation to his Northern Ireland service.
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