David Walker (RAF aircrew officer)

Air Marshal David Walker, CB, CBE, AFC is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer. He was the Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command at Brunssum in the Netherlands from 2011 to 2013, having previously served for over three years as Deputy Commander, Allied Air Component Command at Ramstein in Germany. Prior to that appointment he was Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in the United Kingdom.

Not to be confused with David Walker (RAF administrative officer), also an RAF air marshal.
For other people named David Walker, see David Walker (disambiguation).

David Walker
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1978–2013
RankAir Marshal
Commands heldNo. 1 Group
RAF Cottesmore
No. 1 Squadron
Battles/warsOperation Veritas
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
AwardsCompanion of the Order of the Bath
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Air Force Cross

Education and personal

Educated at Bristol University (Bachelor of Science in Geography) and King's College London (Master of Arts in Defence Studies), Walker undertook a Portal Fellowship for a Doctor of Philosophy with King's College London at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell.

RAF career

Walker was commissioned as a University Cadet in 1975,[1] being regraded as a pilot officer on graduation in 1978,[2] and then promoted to flying officer and flight lieutenant the following year.[3][4] He completed flying tours in Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom, flying the Harrier and F/A-18 Hornet,[5] and promoted to squadron leader in 1987,[6] and awarded the Air Force Cross in the following New Year Honours.[7] Promoted to wing commander in 1993,[8] Walker went on to command No. 1 Squadron, flying operational missions over Iraq and Bosnia, before becoming Military Assistant to the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, serving the Honourable Nicholas Soames and then Dr John Reid.[5]

Walker was promoted to group captain in 1997,[9] and attended the Higher Command and Staff Course in 1999, before taking command of RAF Cottesmore and the UK Harrier Force.[5] In 2001 he was posted to HQ No. 3 Group, spending most of that tour deployed overseas supporting operations in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom;[5] he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2002 New Year Honours.[10] Promoted to air commodore in 2002,[11] he took up the post of Assistant Chief of Staff J3 (Operations) in the Permanent Joint Headquarters,[12] with responsibility for the management of all United Kingdom expeditionary operations, but with his main focus being Operation Telic, the United Kingdom's contribution to the Iraq War.[5]

Promoted to air vice marshal and appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in October 2003,[13][14] Walker became responsible for the detailed handling of overall RAF policy, relations with NATO and other allies and the change agenda, being closely involved in the Eurofighter Typhoon programme.[5] In April 2005 Walker took command of No. 1 Group,[15] with responsibility for the RAF's fast jet forces. In April 2006 he also assumed responsibility for the RAF Support Helicopter Force contribution to the UK Joint Helicopter Command.[5]

In June 2007 Walker was promoted to air marshal[16] and appointed Deputy Commander, Allied Air Component Command at Ramstein.[17] In July 2010 he was appointed to co-lead the Joint US/NATO Ballistic Missile Defence Task Force, to develop Operational Concepts. Walker was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 2011 New Year Honours,[18] and in March of that year he became Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum.[19]

References
  1. "No. 46721". The London Gazette (Supplement). 27 October 1975. p. 13544.
  2. "No. 47632". The London Gazette (Supplement). 4 September 1978. p. 10619.
  3. "No. 47752". The London Gazette (Supplement). 22 January 1979. p. 991.
  4. "No. 48001". The London Gazette (Supplement). 12 November 1979. p. 14243.
  5. JFC Biography – Dep Cmdr (includes photo) Archived 2014-03-06 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 17 Jun 2011
  6. "No. 50986". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 July 1987. p. 8662.
  7. "No. 51171". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 1987. p. 24.
  8. "No. 53363". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 July 1993. p. 11374.
  9. "No. 54820". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 June 1997. p. 7559.
  10. "No. 56430". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2001. pp. 4–6.
  11. "No. 56446". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 January 2002. p. 179.
  12. gulabin.com Tri-Service Appointments p21 (Mar 2012) retrieved 2 Apr 2012
  13. "No. 57076". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 October 2003. p. 12359.
  14. gulabin.com RAF Appointments p10 (Mar 2012) retrieved 2 Apr 2012
  15. gulabin.com RAF Appointments p83 (Mar 2012) retrieved 2 Apr 2012
  16. "No. 58387". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 July 2007. p. 9907.
  17. RAF Air Rank Appointments List 04/07 of 2 May 2007 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
  18. "No. 59647". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2010. p. 2.
  19. RAF Air Rank Appointments List 09/10 of 17 Nov 2010 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
Military offices
Preceded by
Clive Loader		 Chief of Staff Operations (J3), Permanent Joint Headquarters
2002–2003		 Succeeded by
Alan Massey
Preceded by
Philip Sturley		 Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
2003–2005		 Succeeded by
Chris Moran
Preceded by
Chris Moran		 Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group
2005–2007		 Succeeded by
Chris Harper
Preceded by
H Martin (Germany)		 Deputy Commander, Allied Air Component Command, Ramstein
2007–2010		 Succeeded by
F W Ploeger (Germany)
Preceded by
C N Harper		 Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Brunssum
2011–2013		 Succeeded by
Unknown
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