David Walker (RAF officer)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

David Walker
Allegiance Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Flag of the Royal Air Force Royal Air Force
Years of service 1978 -
Rank Air Marshal
Battles/wars War in Afghanistan
Iraq War
Awards Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Air Force Cross

Air Marshal David Walker CBE, AFC, RAF, is a high-ranking officer in the Royal Air Force. He currently serves at Ramstein Air Base in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz.

David Walker joined the Royal Air Force in 1978 and then completed tours in Germany, the United States, and the United Kingdom, flying the Harrier and F/A-18 Hornet. After Staff College he commanded No1(F) Squadron, flying operational missions over Iraq and Bosnia, before becoming the Military Assistant to the UK Minister for Armed Forces in the Ministry of Defence, serving the Hon Nicholas Soames MP and Dr John Reid MP.

In January 1999, he attended the UK’s Higher Command and Staff Course before taking command of RAF Cottesmore and the UK Harrier Force. Posted to HQ No 3 Group in August 2001 he spent most of that tour deployed overseas supporting operations in Afghanistan as part of the International Coalition for Op ENDURING FREEDOM. In 2002 he took up the post of Assistant Chief of Staff J3(Operations) responsible to the UK Commander Joint Operations for the oversight and management of Operation TELIC, the UK contribution to Op IRAQI FREEDOM, as well as oversight of all other UK expeditionary operations.

Appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in October 2003, Walker was responsible for the detailed handling of RAF policy, resource allocation, international relations and change agenda. He was closely involved in the Eurofighter /Typhoon programme and bi-lateral relations with NATO and International allies. In April 2005 Walker gained command of No 1 Group with responsibility for the RAF’s fast jet forces as well as their training and operational performance.[1]

In April 2006 he assumed full command responsibility for the RAF Support Helicopter Force contribution to the UK Joint Helicopter Command. On 27 June 2007 he was appointed the Deputy Commander of the Component Command, Air Headquarters Ramstein.[2] He works for the Commander, General Roger A. Brady, USAF.

Educated at Bristol University (BSc in Geography) and King’s College London (MA in Defence Studies), Walker is undertaking a Portal Fellowship for a PhD with King’s College London at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell.[3]

[edit] Notes

Military offices
Preceded by
P O 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
C N Harper
Preceded by
Horst Martin
Deputy Commander, Allied Air Component HQ Ramstein
2007–Present
Succeeded by
'
Languages