Colonel (Retd) James Hardy assumed the appointment of Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Dental Corps (RADC) on 1st January 2007 following the retirement of Colonel Tony Hawkes as Colonel Commandant.

Colonel Hardy retired from the Royal Army Dental Corps after 36 years service in 2001, and has since been employed as a full time civilian dental practitioner working for the Defence Dental Service.

The appointment of Colonel Commandant is an honorary appointment approved by Her Majesty the Queen. Colonel Hardy's main responsibilities will be to help guard Corps traditions, to foster esprit-de-corps and to represent Corps interests.

Colonel Hardy said it was a great honour to have been appointed Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Dental Corps especially at a time when the armed forces, including his own Corps, were under ever increasing pressure as a result of their commitment to operational deployments.