Portadown soldier gets another top promotion

Colin Weir has been promoted from brigadier to major general

Mr Weir is currently the chief operations officer at The Permanent Joint Headquarters in London, which commands joint and tri-service military operations and provides advice to the MoD.

Former Royal Irish captain Doug Beattie – now a UUP MLA – congratulated his fellow Portadown man.

“It is with a real sense of pleasure that I write to Brigadier Colin Weir DSO MBE to congratulate him on his appointment as General Officer Commanding 1 (UK) Division assuming the rank of major general,” he said.

“I served alongside Colin – a fellow Portadown man – in 1 R Irish and under his command in Nad-e-Ali District of southern Afghanistan in 2010-11 for which Colin was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO).

“Not only does Colin have a proud military background but his father, Herbert Weir, was also a well-respected teacher at Clounagh Junior High School and in fact taught me as a young student at that school.

“I wish Colin all the best of luck in what will be a challenging position leading one of the UK’s premier divisions as he led their premier 16 Air Assault Brigade.

“I am in no doubt as a major general he will continue to shine and we could well be seeing a Portadown man reach one of the highest positions in the British Army.”

Upper Bann DUP MLA Johnny Buckley also congratulated Mr Weir. “Portadown has a proud military history, we are all rightly proud of Colin, and all who serve in our armed forces,” he said.

Mr Weir is a former student of Portadown College and Queen’s University Belfast.