Gordon Moulds
Encyclopedia
Air Commodore
Gordon Moulds, CBE
is a Senior Royal Air Force
Officer who recently finished a tour as Commander of Kandahar Airfield
in Afghanistan
.
in 1978 and trained as an Air Electronic Operator on Nimrod aircraft in the Maritime role. He served his first operational tour at RAF Kinloss
as a sergeant where he participated in a number of operations, most notably flying from Ascension Island
in support of the Falkland Islands
’ campaign.
In 1983, he undertook navigator training and was posted to No. 111 Squadron RAF
, RAF Leuchars
, to operate the Air Defence F-4 Phantom II
fighter aircraft. During this period he conducted numerous Quick Reaction Alert sorties (policing the United Kingdom airspace) where he intercepted over 30 Russian aircraft.
In 1988 he became an air defence fast-jet instructor and was posted on to No 228 OCU, the Phantom Operational Conversion Unit; during this tour he was awarded the MBE
. During his time on Phantom aircraft he completed 7 detachments to the Falkland Islands.
On promotion to Squadron Leader
he became the aircraft accident Board of Inquiry advisor for Headquarters 11 Group at RAF Bentley Priory
. In 1993, he converted on to the Tornado F3 fighter aircraft and became the Executive Officer of the Tornado F3 Operational Training Unit.
On promotion to Wing Commander
, he became the Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander in Turkey, occasionally commanding the allied air forces operation policing the Iraqi no-fly zones
. A short tour followed in the Ministry of Defence
as the desk officer responsible for advising ministers on air matters relating to the Middle East. In 1998 he became Officer Commanding Operations Wing at RAF Leuchars
.
Another short tour followed in the Ministry of Defence, this time as the Personal Staff Officer to the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
. On promotion, he was posted to Headquarters 1 Group
, Strike Command
, as Group Captain Tornado where he was responsible for all operational, training and second customer issues for the Tornado F3, Tornado GR4 and Hawk aircraft.
on promotion to Air Commodore
on 13 October 2006, replacing Air Commodore
David Harrison
.
Since becoming Commandant Air Cadets, he visited many units and Squadrons, and was extremely impressed with the efforts being made by the volunteer staff and the subsequent results for the cadets of those Squadrons, in particular those units that have been able to provide sustained levels of high achievement across the broad range of activities that the ACO provides. The first Squadron visited by the Air Commodore in his new role was No 110 (City of York) Squadron, by coincidence his most recent visit to a Squadron was also to a Yorkshire based unit, on that occasion at the invitation of Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen in her capacity as a member of the Air Cadet Council and Honorary President of No 2168 (Yeadon) Squadron. The Commandant Air Cadets also visited the Swynnerton camp, run by Staffordshire Wing,on several occasions and was very impressed by the activities and commitment from staff and cadets.
Air Commodore Moulds instigated a number of wide ranging initiatives in the Air Cadet Organisation and introduced a Strategic Plan for the next ten years. Amongst these initiatives are:- The development of Regional Activity Centres providing weekend activities with advanced technology flight simulators and equipment alongside air experience flying or gliding; The introduction of a “Cadet CV” to collate the records of activities of individual cadets and provide evidence to future employers; An updating of the syllabus to relate to 21st century teenagers and bringing in web based training packages; The continued roll out of Project BADER named after Group Captain
Douglas Bader
bringing a Corps wide IT system of communication, information and training.
Air Commodore Moulds handed over command of the ACO to Air Commodore Ian Stewart
in May 2008.
on 14 June 2008. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours. He was replaced by Commodore
Phillip Thicknesse in December 2009.
taking up the post in May 2010. He handed over command to Brigadier General Jeffrey Kendall of the United States Air Force
in November 2010.
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Gordon Moulds, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
is a Senior Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Officer who recently finished a tour as Commander of Kandahar Airfield
Kandahar Airfield
Kandahar International Airport is located 10 miles south-east of Kandahar City in Afghanistan. The airport was built by the United States in the 1960s, under the United States Agency for International Development program. It may have been intended to be used as a possible U.S...
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
Military career
Air Commodore Gordon Moulds joined the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
in 1978 and trained as an Air Electronic Operator on Nimrod aircraft in the Maritime role. He served his first operational tour at RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss is a Royal Air Force station near Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north of Scotland. It opened on 1 April 1939 and served as an RAF training establishment during the Second World War. After the war it was handed over to Coastal Command to watch over Russian ships and submarines in...
as a sergeant where he participated in a number of operations, most notably flying from Ascension Island
Ascension Island
Ascension Island is an isolated volcanic island in the equatorial waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, around from the coast of Africa and from the coast of South America, which is roughly midway between the horn of South America and Africa...
in support of the Falkland Islands
Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
’ campaign.
In 1983, he undertook navigator training and was posted to No. 111 Squadron RAF
No. 111 Squadron RAF
No. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland until March 2011, when the squadron was disbanded, ending the Tornado F3's RAF service.-In World War I:...
, RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
, to operate the Air Defence F-4 Phantom II
F-4 Phantom II
The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
fighter aircraft. During this period he conducted numerous Quick Reaction Alert sorties (policing the United Kingdom airspace) where he intercepted over 30 Russian aircraft.
In 1988 he became an air defence fast-jet instructor and was posted on to No 228 OCU, the Phantom Operational Conversion Unit; during this tour he was awarded the MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. During his time on Phantom aircraft he completed 7 detachments to the Falkland Islands.
On promotion to Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
he became the aircraft accident Board of Inquiry advisor for Headquarters 11 Group at RAF Bentley Priory
RAF Bentley Priory
RAF Bentley Priory was a non-flying Royal Air Force station near Stanmore in the London Borough of Harrow. It was famous as the headquarters of Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain and the Second World War. The RAF Bentley Priory site includes a Grade II* listed Officers' Mess and Italian...
. In 1993, he converted on to the Tornado F3 fighter aircraft and became the Executive Officer of the Tornado F3 Operational Training Unit.
On promotion to Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
, he became the Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander in Turkey, occasionally commanding the allied air forces operation policing the Iraqi no-fly zones
Iraqi no-fly zones
The Iraqi no-fly zones were a set of two separate no-fly zones , and were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom and France after the Gulf War of 1991 to protect the Kurdish people in northern Iraq and Shiite Muslims in the south. Iraqi aircraft were forbidden from flying inside the zones...
. A short tour followed in the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
as the desk officer responsible for advising ministers on air matters relating to the Middle East. In 1998 he became Officer Commanding Operations Wing at RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars
RAF Leuchars is the most northerly air defence station in the United Kingdom. It is located in Leuchars, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland, near to the university town of St Andrews.-Operations:...
.
Another short tour followed in the Ministry of Defence, this time as the Personal Staff Officer to the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
The Assistant Chief of the Air Staff is a senior appointment in the Royal Air Force. The incumbent is in practical terms the deputy to the head of the RAF, the Chief of the Air Staff....
. On promotion, he was posted to Headquarters 1 Group
No. 1 Group RAF
Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the two operations groups in Air Command.The group is today referred to as the Air Combat Group, as it controls the RAF's combat fast-jet aircraft and has airfields in the UK plus RAF Unit Goose Bay in Canada, which is used extensively as an...
, Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
, as Group Captain Tornado where he was responsible for all operational, training and second customer issues for the Tornado F3, Tornado GR4 and Hawk aircraft.
Commandant Air Cadets
In June 2004 he assumed the post of Chief of Staff/Air Commander in the Falkland Islands. Returning to the UK, he became Commandant Air CadetsCommandant Air Cadets
Commandant Air Cadets is the title given to the Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for running the Air Cadet Organisation, embracing the Air Training Corps and the RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force...
on promotion to Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
on 13 October 2006, replacing Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
David Harrison
David Harrison (RAF officer)
Air Commodore David Harrison, BSc RAF, is a retired RAF Officer and former Commandant of the Air Cadet Organisation .- Early life :Air Cdre Harrison was educated at John Port School just outside Derby and went on to complete a BSc degree in Geography at Liverpool University.- Military career :He...
.
Since becoming Commandant Air Cadets, he visited many units and Squadrons, and was extremely impressed with the efforts being made by the volunteer staff and the subsequent results for the cadets of those Squadrons, in particular those units that have been able to provide sustained levels of high achievement across the broad range of activities that the ACO provides. The first Squadron visited by the Air Commodore in his new role was No 110 (City of York) Squadron, by coincidence his most recent visit to a Squadron was also to a Yorkshire based unit, on that occasion at the invitation of Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen in her capacity as a member of the Air Cadet Council and Honorary President of No 2168 (Yeadon) Squadron. The Commandant Air Cadets also visited the Swynnerton camp, run by Staffordshire Wing,on several occasions and was very impressed by the activities and commitment from staff and cadets.
Air Commodore Moulds instigated a number of wide ranging initiatives in the Air Cadet Organisation and introduced a Strategic Plan for the next ten years. Amongst these initiatives are:- The development of Regional Activity Centres providing weekend activities with advanced technology flight simulators and equipment alongside air experience flying or gliding; The introduction of a “Cadet CV” to collate the records of activities of individual cadets and provide evidence to future employers; An updating of the syllabus to relate to 21st century teenagers and bringing in web based training packages; The continued roll out of Project BADER named after Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
Douglas Bader
Douglas Bader
Group Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
bringing a Corps wide IT system of communication, information and training.
Air Commodore Moulds handed over command of the ACO to Air Commodore Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart (RAF)
Air Commodore Ian R W Stewart, BSc FRAeS RAF, is the United Kingdom National Military Representative, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe.- Military career :...
in May 2008.
Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands
Air Commodore Moulds became Commander British Forces South Atlantic IslandsMilitary of the Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands are an overseas territory of the United Kingdom and, as such, rely on the UK for guarantee of their security. The other UK territories in the South Atlantic, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, fall under the protection of the British forces on the Falklands ,...
on 14 June 2008. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours. He was replaced by Commodore
Commodore (Royal Navy)
Commodore is a rank of the Royal Navy above Captain and below Rear Admiral. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-6. The rank is equivalent to Brigadier in the British Army and Royal Marines and to Air Commodore in the Royal Air Force.-Insignia:...
Phillip Thicknesse in December 2009.
Commander Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
It was announced in March 2010 that Air Commodore Moulds was to become Commander Kandahar AirfieldKandahar Airfield
Kandahar International Airport is located 10 miles south-east of Kandahar City in Afghanistan. The airport was built by the United States in the 1960s, under the United States Agency for International Development program. It may have been intended to be used as a possible U.S...
taking up the post in May 2010. He handed over command to Brigadier General Jeffrey Kendall of the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
in November 2010.