Commander

Commander

Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...

 Heber Kemble Ackland, MA Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

 MVO

Royal Victorian Order

The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...

, RN

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

, was Equerry

Equerry

An equerry , and related to the French word "écuyer" ) is an officer of honour. Historically, it was a senior attendant with responsibilities for the horses of a person of rank. In contemporary use, it is a personal attendant, usually upon a Sovereign, a member of a Royal Family, or a national...

 to Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

 from July 2004 to July 2007.

Born in 1969, he was educated between 1987 and 1990 at the Keble College, Oxford

Keble College, Oxford

Keble College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its main buildings are on Parks Road, opposite the University Museum and the University Parks. The college is bordered to the north by Keble Road, to the south by Museum Road, and to the west by Blackhall...

, where he studied Medieval and Modern History.

He joined the Royal Navy

Royal Navy

The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 as a Supply Officer

Supply Officer

Supply Officer was a specialisation in the British Royal Navy which has recently been superseded by the Logistics Officer, recognising the need to align with the nomenclature and function of similar cadres in the British Army and Royal Air Force...

 in 1991, on a full term commission. As a junior officer, he served in the survey ship HMS Beagle

HMS Beagle (A319)

HMS Beagle was a Bulldog class coastal survey vessel of the Royal Navy.She was originally to have been called HMS Barracouta but her name was changed to HMS Beagle in honour of the ship which carried Charles Darwin....

 and he was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on 1 November 1999. He was Supply Officer

Supply Officer

Supply Officer was a specialisation in the British Royal Navy which has recently been superseded by the Logistics Officer, recognising the need to align with the nomenclature and function of similar cadres in the British Army and Royal Air Force...

 of the destroyer

Destroyer

In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...

 HMS Southampton

HMS Southampton (D90)

HMS Southampton was a batch two Type 42 destroyer of the Royal Navy. She was named after the city of Southampton, England, and built by Vosper Thornycroft, in Southampton...

 from 1999 to 2001 and then was at King's College London

King's College London

King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...

, earning an MA

Master of Arts (postgraduate)

A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

 in Defence Studies. He then served as Military Assistant

Military Assistant

A Military Assistant, in the British Armed Forces and many of those derived from them, is an officer appointed to the personal office of a general officer. They are similar to aides-de-camp but generally have a more overtly administrative role....

 to the Capability Manager (Precision Attack) - Controller of the Navy

Third Sea Lord

The Third Sea Lord and Controller of the Navy was formerly the Naval Lord and member of the Board of Admiralty responsible for procurement and matériel in the British Royal Navy...

 - in the Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)

The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....

 from September 2002 to July 2004.

In 2006, near the end of his appointment at the Palace

Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...

, he was promoted to Commander, and was SO1 Strategy, Joint Support Chain, DE&S (Ministry of Defence

MoD Abbey Wood

MoD Abbey Wood is a purpose-built site in Filton, Bristol, United Kingdom, that houses the Defence Equipment and Support procurement organisation....

, Bath) from August 2007 to July 2009 and he was the last Logistics Officer

Logistics Officer

A Logistics Officer is a member of an armed force responsible for overseeing the support of an army, air force, or navy both at home and abroad. Logistics Officers can be stationary on military bases or deployed as an active part of a field army, air wing, or naval force. The responsibilities of...

 of the aircraft carrier

Aircraft carrier

An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...

 HMS Ark Royal

HMS Ark Royal (R07)

HMS Ark Royal is a decommissioned light aircraft carrier and former flagship of the Royal Navy. She was the third and final vessel of Invincible-class...

 from July 2009 to January 2011.

He was made a Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO) in 2007 for personal service to the Royal Family.

Since March 2011 Commander Ackland has been Commandant of the Defence Maritime Logistics School (DMLS), based at HMS Raleigh

HMS Raleigh (shore establishment)

HMS Raleigh is the modern-day basic training facility of the Royal Navy at Torpoint, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It is spread over several square miles, and has damage control simulators and fire-fighting training facilities...

in Cornwall.