SO1 Leadership
Acting Lieutenant Colonel (A/Lt Col) Bucknall commissioned into the Royal Military Police in 2011 and then completed the Military Police Officers Course and the Close Protection Course in quick succession. As a Junior Officer he conducted appointments as a Platoon Commander at 160 Provost Company, Operations Officer at 150 Provost Company, Training Officer at the Close Protection Unit, Adjutant of the Special Investigation Branch Regiment and Platoon Commander Instructor at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. During this period he also deployed to Khartoum, Sudan as the Close Protection Team Leader to Her Majesty’s Ambassador.
On promotion to Major he completed the Intermediate Command and Staff Course in 2020 where he also deployed to London. His initial appointment was as SO2 Security at Regional Command before arriving to his next appointment as Deputy Commandant. During his time as deputy commandant, he also deployed on Operation Interflex, being responsible for providing mission risk management and production of orders as part of a multinational effort to provide training to over 20,000 trainees annually. Upon finishing there, he deployed on Operation Shader as UK embed to a US HQ and then across the Broader Middle East. He arrived at the Centre of Army Leadership (CAL) as SO2 Leadership in Jan 2025, before assuming the position of acting SO1 Leadership in May 2025.
A/ Lt Col Bucknall enjoys all aspects of physical training with his main passion being playing and chairing his Corps Basketball. He has also recently taken up golf and is striving towards finding his first fairway. He is an advocate for professional development and has recently completed a BA (Hons) in Leadership and Management and a Master’s in Business Administration. He lives with his wife Lauren and their two extremely needy Labradors Hunter (11) and Moose (one).
WO1 Leadership
Warrant Officer Class One- (WO1, RSM) Paul Kennedy Joined the British Army in January 2002 entering training at the Army Foundation College Harrogate and then the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick. On completion of training WO1 Kennedy joined the 1st Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment, deploying in 2003 to Kabul working as close protection to the Commander British Forces Afghanistan.
In 2004 Kennedy completed the Junior Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) cadre and Close observation Operators course, promoting to Lance Corporal and deploying to Basra, Iraq on Operation Telic 6 in the inaugural 12 Brigade Surveillance Company. Whilst serving with the Vikings, WO1 Kennedy’s further operational experience includes five further deployments to Afghanistan. Serving as a rifle section commander, platoon sergeant, a reconnaissance section commander and the Reconnaissance Platoon second-in-command. His final deployment to Afghanistan was as the Company Sergeant Major of C (Essex) Company in the Kabul based NATO Headquarters.
WO1 Kennedy has served with 3rd Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment as a Permanent Staff Instructor, a Battalion Training Officer, and as the Chief instructor for a multi-national Training delivery unit responsible for the training of Ukrainian soldiers. During the COVID-19 Pandemic he was seconded to the Department of Health and Social Care, working for a team from Deloitte responsible for siting and building regional test centres. WO1 Kennedy took on the role of Regimental Sergeant Major of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment in December 2023. His time in the role saw the Battalion join 11 Brigade, which prompted significant re-structuring, and extensive conceptual development to deliver Recce-Strike concepts and prove small team lethality.
WO1 Kennedy has a passion for learning driven by a desire to not repeat the same mistakes again. He has completed a post-graduate diploma in Strategic leadership and Management in 2022, and a Masters in Business Administration with the University of Northampton in 2023.
WO1 Kennedy is married to Emma, herself a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, they have two Children, Daisy (13) and Jack (10), and a Goldendoodle named Ted. WO1 Kennedy was selected for assignment to the role of WO1 Leadership in the CAL in December 2024, and began in Jul 2025.
Warrant Officer Class Two (WO2) Ben Page joined the British Army in September 2003, entering training at Bassingbourn Army Training Centre. On completion of training, he joined 13 Air Assault Regiment Royal Logistics Corps (RLC) , shortly after he deployed to Kandahar on Op Herrick 4 as a driver. He then completed a second tour forming part of a Psychological Operations team on Op Herrick 6.
In 2006 WO2 Page transferred to the 1st Battalion the Royal Anglian Regiment (the Vikings)and completed the Junior NCO (JNCO) cadre and Close observation Operators course, promoting to Lance Corporal.
Whilst serving with the Vikings, WO2 Page’s further operational experience includes deployments to Afghanistan, on Op Herrick 11 and Op TORAL 1-mServing as a rifle section 2IC and section commander. As well as numerous short term training teams to Nigeria and Kenya.
WO2 Page completed the Platoon Sergeants battle course in 2014 and was awarded a distinction, promoting into the Vikings as the Platoon Sergeant of the Machine Guns Platoon, then deployed to the Falklands, Kenya and America on Ex Rattlesnake. WO2 Page became an instructor at the Infantry Battle School, Brecon, where he was then selected for a 6-month secondment to the Centre for Army Leadership leading on “Leadership from a JNCOS perspective”. On return to the Battalion he then took over as Company Sergeant Major Support Coy, overseeing the Companies’ move to Cyprus and transition to a Security Force Assistance force role.
WO2 Page took on the role of Regimental Training Wing Warrant Officer of the 1st Battalion, the Royal Anglian Regiment in December 2023. During his tenure he deployed twice as part of his research to improve and modernise British Army trench warfare tactics. The culmination of his work will see a rewrite of Trench warfare Doctrine set to publish this year.
WO2 Page is married to Amanda, Assistant Headteacher at Fort Pitt Grammar school, Rochester. They have two Children, Annabelle (15) and Florence (10),
In Dec 2024, WO2 Page was selected for assignment to the role of WO2 Leadership at the British Army’s Centre of Army Leadership which he began in Sept 2025. He has passion for soldiering a desire to deliver relevant change.
Director of Research
Professor Lloyd Clark is Director of Research at the CAL, and a Professorial Research Fellow in the Humanities Research Institute, University of Buckingham. Lloyd is also a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Royal Geographical Society, and the British Commission for Military History, and sits on the advisory boards for several leading think tanks, academic journals and international research led organisations. He has worked with and for the British Army for over 30 years.
More information: Professor Lloyd Clark | University of Buckingham
Deputy Director of Research
Dr Linda Risso is Senior Researcher at the CAL. She is the Head of the Richard Holmes Library and the editor of the CAL Leadership Insights. Before joining the Ministry of Defence, Dr Risso worked as historian at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, in Mons (Belgium). She is an expert on European Security and Defence since 1945 with a particular focus on NATO. She is Senior Fellow of the Institute of Historical Research and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Contact the team
Email: [email protected]