Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur awarded the Class II Cross of Merit of the Ministry of Defence to Brigadier Giles Richard Harris, who is concluding his second tour of duty in Estonia at the beginning of July 2025.
“I am awarding the Ministry of Defence’s Class II Cross of Merit to Brigadier Giles Richard Harris in recognition of his excellent cooperation and personal contribution to the development of defence cooperation between Estonia and the United Kingdom. Brigadier Harris played a key role in establishing the NATO battlegroup in Estonia in 2017 and, during his second tour, led the battlegroup through a fundamental transformation — from deterrence by punishment to deterrence by denial — one of the most significant developments in NATO’s defence strategy in recent decades. In addition, Harris has also contributed to the development of the Estonian Division Headquarters as deputy commander of the Division,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
“In 2017 we were happy to be here, meeting each other for the first time in Estonia and we were trying to exist in a positive way, whereas now we are old friends and in a more operationally fit system. The advent of the Estonian Division is something you might be proud of because now you also have the division headquarters which is a crucible from which you can develop proper operational plans, bind together your brigades. The establishment and development of the ESTDIV, and integration with the British and French units is probably the thing I am mostly proud of,” said Brigadier Harris.
Between 2017 and 2019, Brigadier Harris served as the first commander of the NATO battlegroup in Estonia, and in 2019, he was awarded the Order of the Cross of the Eagle, Class III, by President Kersti Kaljulaid. Brigadier Harris returned to Estonia in the spring of 2023 to once again take command of the NATO battlegroup.
Additional information: [email protected]
Photo: Brigaadikindral Giles Harris ja kaitseminister Pevkur (07.07.2025) | Flickr