Colonel Timothy Thomas Cyril Collins (born 30 April 1960) is a retired Northern Irish military officer in the British Army.
1981
After graduating from university, Collins was accepted into the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, from where he was commissioned into the Royal Signals as a second lieutenant on a short service commission on 2 October 1981.
1982
He was promoted to lieutenant with seniority from 7 April 1982.
He transferred to the Royal Irish Rangers on 18 October 1982.
1984
He switched to a full commission on 22 October 1984, and was promoted captain on 7 October 1985.
1988
He passed selection into the SAS in 1988, going on to serve 2 operational tours with the Regiment and 1 tour at HQ Special Forces in York barracks London
1992
He was promoted major on 30 September 1992, and lieutenant-colonel on 30 June 1999.
2001
Collins was appointed commanding officer of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment in 2001.
2002
For a tour of duty in Northern Ireland between October 2001 and March 2002, he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service on 29 October 2002.
It was in the capacity of 1 R Irish's commanding officer that he rose to prominence while serving in Iraq.
2003
He is best known for his role in the Iraq War in 2003, and his eve-of-battle speech, which President George W. Bush had displayed on the White House's Oval Office.
He is currently Chairman (and co-founder) of intelligence-based security services company Horus Global.
Collins is the Ulster Unionist Party's candidate for North Down in the 2024 United Kingdom general election.
Collins was born and raised in Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he grew up during The Troubles.
He was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution before attending Queen's University of Belfast, where he gained a degree in economics.
On 31 October 2003 he was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for his service in Iraq and was invested on 7 April 2004.
Collins was promoted to colonel and moved to the General Staff on 30 June 2003.
He set up the Peace Support College in Sarajevo before becoming DACOS Training at HQ Land Command until his retirement.
As Lieutenant Colonel (Commanding Officer) of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment of the British Army, Collins gave a rousing eve-of-battle speech to his troops in Kuwait on Wednesday 19 March 2003.
The speech was extemporised, and was recorded in shorthand by a single journalist, Sarah Oliver.
No recording or film of the speech exists, Collins told the BBC.
We go to Iraq to liberate not to conquer.
We will not fly our flags in their country.
We are entering Iraq to free a people and the only flag which will be flown in that ancient land is their own.
Show respect for them.
There are some who are alive at this moment who will not be alive shortly.
Those who do not wish to go on that journey, we will not send.
As for the others I expect you to rock their world.
Wipe them out if that is what they choose.
But if you are ferocious in battle remember to be magnanimous in victory.
Iraq is steeped in history.
It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham.
Tread lightly there.
You will see things that no man could pay to see and you will have to go a long way to find a more decent, generous and upright people than the Iraqis.
You will be embarrassed by their hospitality even though they have nothing.
Don't treat them as refugees for they are in their own country.
Their children will be poor, in years to come they will know that the light of liberation in their lives was brought by you.
If there are casualties of war then remember that when they woke up and got dressed in the morning they did not plan to die this day.
