Major General Nesmith has a habit of making history. At the start of last year, she became the first ever British army woman to command at two-star level, and when August comes this year, she will begin her journey as the first woman to ever become the Deputy Chief of the General Staff.

During her time as the General Commanding Officer (GOC) at Army Recruiting and Initial Training Command, Nesmith led the recruitment and training of around 35,000 men and women, spanning 280 army courses. She was also a part of the journey that 5,350 people took to UK installations in other countries.

Her work shows a woman tackling a very difficult and restricted field, where up until a few years ago most positions were closed off to women. If anything, when she joined in 1982, around 80% of the roles weren’t even available to her, and she signed a document confirming she would leave should she get pregnant.

Her appointment was acknowledged by General Sir Mark Carleton-Smith KCB CBE ADC Gen, Chief of the General Staff, who confirmed that Her Majesty the Queen had approved the appointment on April 4, 2022.

Speaking about the appointment, he said, “I am delighted that Sharon Nesmith will be the next Deputy Chief of the General Staff on promotion to Lieutenant General this summer. She is the right person at the right time to drive the Army’s transformation and she brings a wealth of experience, energy and fresh ideas.“

Nesmith herself is elated by the appointment.

“I feel deeply honoured to be appointed as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff at such a pivotal time for the British Army. I look forward to playing my part in leading our Future Soldier transformation to become a more lethal, agile, digitised and expeditionary force,” she said.

As a soldier, her career goes back to 1992, when she was commissioned into the Royal Corps of Signals. Her deployment in Germany took up a significant portion of her time in the military, and she also served three tours in the Balkans.

Given how much she has already accomplished, we are waiting to see what other big things she brings to the table when she takes up her new role.

The British Army has been steadily allowing more women to not only become part of the armed forces but also take on more roles. If anything, it’s become one of the top employers for women.

It’s no longer a man’s world, and Major General Nesmith will be making sure it stays that way.