He has commanded the 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2008–10), Joint Task Force 631 (2010) and Combined Team Uruzgan (2012–13), and deployed to East Timor as part of Operations Warden, Tanager and Astute and to Afghanistan and the Sinai Peninsula.

[2][3][4] Returning to Australia, he subsequently served as Deputy Director of the Joint Amphibious Capability Implementation Team in Royal Australian Navy Headquarters and was later appointed program manager of the Enhanced Land Force Programme in the Department of Defence.

[2][3][4][6] In recognition of his "exceptional service" in this role, Stuart was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2011 Queen's Birthday Honours and awarded the Timor-Leste Medal of Merit.

[6][7] Stuart was made Director Coordination – Army in 2011 and, in October 2012, deployed to Afghanistan as commander Combined Team Uruzgan.

[13][15] In the role, Stuart was responsible for more than 1,000 personnel from thirteen countries working to support ongoing security cooperation and resolve disagreements along the Sinai border.

[12][16][17] After more than two and a half years with the MFO, Stuart relinquished command to Major General Evan Williams of New Zealand on 1 December 2019.

[1] The change of command ceremony took place on 1 July and Stuart officially succeeded Lieutenant General Rick Burr as Chief of Army the following day.

[26] In June, Stuart was presented with the Singaporean Meritorious Service Medal (Military) by Singapore's Minister for Defence, Ng Eng Hen.