Speakers

Lt Gen David Eastman commissioned into the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in 1989. 

He has served in Hong Kong, Nepal, Germany, the Falkland Islands, Australia and across the UK, 

and has deployed on operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan twice. 

He was made an MBE following the first UK deployment to Helmand in 2006, during which he was 

employed as the Deputy Chief of Staff, 16 Air Assault Brigade.  

In addition to service with a wide variety of field force units, Lt Gen Eastman has focused on 

developing his Joint, International and Capability credentials at the Operational and Strategic 

levels. Roles have included planning the redeployment of British Forces from Afghanistan whilst in 

PJHQ; Force Development and Strategic Management of the UK military force structure in support 

of the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review as part of the Financial and Military Capability 

Directorate in MoD; and a stint as a Military Assistant at the strategic level for the Assistant Chief of 

the General staff.  

From an international perspective, he has been the Military Assistant to a German 4-star NATO 

commander, commanded a globally-deployed Defence Engagement-focused logistic brigade and 

commanded the UN multi-national contingent on a number of exercises in South Korea. He served 

as the Head of International Policy and Plans for Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the 

Caribbean in the Ministry of Defence, subsequently switching to Euro-Atlantic Security.  

He completed the UK Higher Command and Staff Course in 2013 and, in 2019, the Australian War 

College Defence and Strategic Studies Course in Canberra.  

On returning to the UK, Lt Gen Eastman served as General Officer Commanding Regional 

Command, running the Army’s UK strategic base and concurrently serving as the Deputy 

Commander and then Commander of the UK’s Standing Joint Command, responsible for support 

to UK resilience including the Defence COVID Force. He assumed the role of Assistant Chief of 

Defence Staff (Capability and Force Design) in August 2022 acting as the Defence lead for 

capability strategy and planning, and future force development and design. In May 2024 he was 

selected for promotion to Lt Gen and appointed as the Deputy Chief of the General Staff. 

Lt Gen Eastman is very proud to hold regimental appointments as the Colonel Commandant of The 

Staff Corps since April 2024, the Master General of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 

and Colonel Commandant of The Royal Corps of Army Music. 

He is married to Corina and has four children. He is an avid musician and rugby fan, now that his 

playing/coaching and refereeing days are over.