Timothy Simon Spicer (born 1952) is a former British Army officer and a prominent figure in the private military and security industry. He is best known for founding the private military companies Sandline International and Aegis Defence Services.
Military Career Spicer was educated at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and commissioned into the Scots Guards in the early 1970s. During his twenty-year career in the British Army, he served in several conflicts, including the Falklands War (1982) and the Gulf War (1991), and completed several tours in Northern Ireland. He also served as a staff officer under General Sir Peter de la Billière. He reached the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before retiring from the military in 1994.
Sandline International In 1996, Spicer founded Sandline International, a private military company (PMC). The company became the subject of significant international attention during the "Sandline affair" in 1997. The government of Papua New Guinea, led by Julius Chan, contracted Sandline to provide mercenary support and equipment to suppress a separatist rebellion on Bougainville Island. The deal resulted in a revolt by the Papua New Guinea Defence Force, the temporary detention of Spicer, and the eventual resignation of Prime Minister Chan.
In 1998, Sandline was involved in another controversy regarding the shipment of arms to Sierra Leone to restore the government of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah. This action was investigated for potentially breaching a United Nations arms embargo. Spicer maintained that the company had acted with the tacit approval of British government officials.
Aegis Defence Services Following the dissolution of Sandline International, Spicer founded Aegis Defence Services in 2002. In 2004, shortly after the invasion of Iraq, Aegis was awarded a significant contract by the United States Department of Defense to provide security services and coordinate communication between private security companies and the U.S. military. This contract was a subject of debate in both the United Kingdom and the United States regarding the role and oversight of private contractors in conflict zones. Spicer served as the Chief Executive Officer of Aegis until 2010.
Public Profile Spicer has been a vocal advocate for the regulation and professionalization of the private military industry. He published an autobiography, An Unorthodox Soldier, in 1999, which details his military experiences and his perspective on the transition to the private sector. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1992 for his military service.