Chris Harper (RAF officer)

For other people named Chris Harper, see Chris Harper (disambiguation)
Air Marshal
Sir Christopher Harper
KBE

Air Marshal Harper in Kabul
Birth name Christopher Nigel Harper
Born (1957-03-25) 25 March 1957
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  Royal Air Force
Years of service 1976 to present
Rank Air Marshal
Commands held
Battles/wars Op DENY FLIGHT
Awards

Air Marshal Sir Christopher Nigel Harper KBE (born 25 March 1957) is a senior Royal Air Force officer, who previously served as the UK Military Representative to NATO and the European Union, having served before that as Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command at Brunssum in the Netherlands, and prior to that as Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in the UK.

Education and personal

Harper was educated at Alleyn's School in Dulwich and King's College London (MA, Defence Studies) and is married with one son. He enjoys flying, shooting, running, riding motorcycles and gastronomy.[1]

Service career

Harper was commissioned in 1976,[2] and then regraded to Pilot Officer the following year[3] after Initial Officer Training, and promoted to Flying Officer in 1978;[4] being posted in 1979 to 41(F) Squadron for his first tour on the SEPECAT Jaguar.[1] He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in 1982[5] and Squadron Leader in 1986,[6] serving as a Qualified Weapons Instructor on the Jaguar with 31 and 14 Squadrons before an exchange tour in Canada flying the McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet.[1] Promoted to Wing Commander in 1993,[7] he returned to command 41(F) Squadron between 1994 and 1997, and was actively involved in operations over Bosnia during this period.[1] Having been promoted to Group Captain at the end of this tour,[8] he maintained his connection with the Jaguar force when he returned to RAF Coltishall in 1999 as Station Commander, whilst its aircraft were involved in operations over Iraq, serving until 2001.[1] He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2002 New Year Honours List[9] and was Mentioned in Despatches for actions in the Gulf.[10]

Promoted to Air Commodore in 2002,[11] Harper served as Air Commodore Typhoon at No. 1 Group,[1] before becoming Head of Joint Commitments at the Ministry of Defence in 2004,[12] and then, following promotion to Air Vice Marshal in 2005,[13] Chief of Staff Operations[14] at what became Air Command. In 2007 he returned to 1 Group as Air Officer Commanding,[15][16] following which he was promoted to Air Marshal and appointed Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Brunssum in March 2009.[17]

He was appointed UK Military Representative to NATO and the EU in March 2011 [18][19] and promoted to Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in June 2011.[20] He became Director-General of the International Military Staff at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 24 July 2013.[21]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 NATO biography (includes photo) retrieved 07 Apr 2012
  2. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 47007. p. 12206. 06 Sep 1976. Retrieved 08 Apr 2012.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 47294. p. 10287. 08 Aug 1977. Retrieved 08 Apr 2012.
  4. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 47616. p. 9822. 14 Aug 1978. Retrieved 08 Apr 2012.
  5. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 48964. p. 5666. 26 Apr 1982. Retrieved 28 Apr 2012.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 50583. pp. 8719–8720. 30 Jun 1986. Retrieved 28 Apr 2012.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 53164. p. 105. 04 Jan 1993. Retrieved 28 Apr 2012.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 54642. p. 217. 06 Jan 1997. Retrieved 28 Apr 2012.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 56430. p. 6. 31 Dec 2001. Retrieved 17 Jun 2011.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 56541. p. 4813. 19 Apr 2002. Retrieved 17 Jun 2011.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 56620. p. 7894. 02 Jul 2002. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  12. ↑ gulabin.com Tri-Service Appointments p16 (Mar 2012) retrieved 13 May 2012
  13. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 57761. p. 12121. 20 Sep 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  14. ↑ gulabin.com RAF Appointments p43 (Mar 2012) retrieved 13 May 2012
  15. ↑ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 07/06 of 21 Aug 2006 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
  16. ↑ gulabin.com RAF Appointments p84 (Mar 2012) retrieved 13 May 2012
  17. ↑ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 09/08 of 19 Dec 2008 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
  18. ↑ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 07/10 of 17 Sep 2010 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
  19. ↑ gulabin.com Tri-Service Appointments p28 (Mar 2012) retrieved 13 May 2012
  20. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 59808. pp. 4–6. 11 Jun 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  21. ↑ "NATO News, 24 July 2013". Retrieved 31 July 2013.
Military offices
Preceded by
unknown		 Air Commodore Typhoon,
No. 1 Group
2002 - 2004 		Succeeded by
unknown
New title Head Joint Commitments,
Ministry of Defence
2004 - 2005 		Succeeded by
Brig C G S Hughes
New title Chief of Staff Operations
2005 - 2007 		Succeeded by
N D A Maddox
as Chief of Staff Operations,
Air Command
Preceded by
D Walker		 Air Officer Commanding,
No. 1 Group
July 2007 - March 2009 		Succeeded by
G J Bagwell
Preceded by
C H Moran		 Deputy Commander,
Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum
March 2009 - March 2011 		Succeeded by
D Walker
Preceded by
Sir David Bill		 UK Military Representative to NATO
2011 - 2013 		Succeeded by
Ian Corder
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