Richard Garwood
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Richard Frank Garwood CB
CBE
DFC
is a Royal Air Force officer, currently serving as Deputy Commander-in-Chief
Operations at Air Command
.
He was initially appointed in April 2010 on an acting basis - having served for less than a year as Chief of Staff Operations - following the reassignment of Air Marshal Tim Anderson as Director General of the new Military Aviation Authority
, and pending the appointment of Air Marshal Andy Pulford
. However, following the sudden death of the then Commander-in-Chief ACM Sir Christopher Moran, Pulford was in turn reassigned and Garwood promoted to Air Marshal and confirmed in post.
Garwood was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in the Gulf, and appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.
at RAF Coltishall
to fly the Jaguar
aircraft in the Ground Attack / Reconnaissance role. In 1985 Garwood was promoted to Flight Lieutenant and moved to the Tactical Weapons Unit at RAF Brawdy
to instruct students on the Hawk
aircraft, becoming a Qualified Weapons Instructor
.
In 1987 Garwood began an exchange tour with the USAF, flying the RF-4C Phantom from Bergstrom Air Force Base
in Texas. On his return in 1990 he converted to the Tornado GR1 before being posted as a Squadron Leader to II (Army Cooperation) Squadron
at RAF Laarbruch
in West Germany, being deployed to Saudi Arabia shortly after his arrival, for Operation Granby
. He flew 19 night low-level reconnaissance sorties during the battle phase of the operation and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
.
In 1993 Garwood moved to the Ministry of Defence as a staff officer in Operational Requirements (Air) and then, in 1995, attended the Army Staff College at Camberley
. In the same year he was promoted to Wing Commander and returned to II (AC) Squadron, now at RAF Marham
, as its Commanding Officer. His time in command included many detachments to patrol the No-Fly Zones over Iraq. This was followed by a staff appointment at the Permanent Joint Headquarters
at Northwood
On promotion to Group Captain in 2000 Garwood returned to Marham as Station Commander, this tour including deployment to East Africa as Commander British Forces during Operation Ramson, carrying out air operations over the Horn of Africa in support of Operation Veritas in Afghanistan; he was appointed CBE in 2002.
Garwood attended the Royal College of Defence Studies
in 2003 before deploying to Qatar to become the first post-combat phase Air Component Commander for Operation Telic
in Iraq
. He returned to the UK in late 2003 to become Air Commodore Force Elements at No.1 Group
, his promotion to that rank coming in January of 2004. In that year he returned to the Ministry of Defence as Director of Air Staff, completing the Higher Command and Staff Course as part of his tour. In February 2007 he was posted on temporary duty as the Chief of Defence Staff’s Liaison Officer to the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
, returning in July of that year to the appointment of Air Officer Commanding No. 22 (Training) Group
(and the concurrent appointment of Chief of Staff Training) in the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.
In July 2009 Garwood was appointed Chief of Staff Operations at Air Command and then, in April 2010, Acting Deputy Commander-in-Chief Operations following the reassignment of Air Marshal Tim Anderson - who was due to take up the appointment - to set up the Military Aviation Authority
. Garwood was due to hand over this appointment to Air Marshal Andy Pulford
in September but the sudden death of the then Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Moran, resulted in Pulford in turn being reassigned, and Garwood's promotion to Air Marshal in June to take on the role on a permanent basis.
In the same month Garwood was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Richard Frank Garwood CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
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...
DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
is a Royal Air Force officer, currently serving as Deputy Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
Operations at Air Command
RAF Air Command
Air Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training Commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire....
.
He was initially appointed in April 2010 on an acting basis - having served for less than a year as Chief of Staff Operations - following the reassignment of Air Marshal Tim Anderson as Director General of the new Military Aviation Authority
Military Aviation Authority
The Military Aviation Authority is the UK organisation which regulates, audits and assures all aspects of military aviation.The MAA was created on 1 April 2010 as a result of the recommendations of the Haddon-Cave Review into the crash of RAF Nimrod XV230 over Afghanistan in September...
, and pending the appointment of Air Marshal Andy Pulford
Andy Pulford
Air Marshal Andrew Douglas Pulford CBE is a Royal Air Force officer, currently serving as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at Air Command and also as Air Member for Personnel.-Service career:...
. However, following the sudden death of the then Commander-in-Chief ACM Sir Christopher Moran, Pulford was in turn reassigned and Garwood promoted to Air Marshal and confirmed in post.
Garwood was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in the Gulf, and appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2010 Birthday Honours.
Service Career
Garwood was commissioned in 1979, being regraded on completion of Initial Officer Training and promoted to Flying Officer during his flying training, on completion of which he was posted to 41(F) SquadronNo. 41 Squadron RAF
No. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
at RAF Coltishall
RAF Coltishall
The former Royal Air Force Station Coltishall, more commonly known as RAF Coltishall , was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, North-North-East of Norwich, in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia, from 1938 to 2006....
to fly the Jaguar
SEPECAT Jaguar
The SEPECAT Jaguar is an Anglo-French jet ground attack aircraft, originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Armée de l'Air in the close air support and nuclear strike role, and still in service with several export customers, notably the Indian Air Force and the Royal Air Force...
aircraft in the Ground Attack / Reconnaissance role. In 1985 Garwood was promoted to Flight Lieutenant and moved to the Tactical Weapons Unit at RAF Brawdy
RAF Brawdy
RAF Brawdy was a Royal Air Force station in South West Wales near to St David's.The Pembrokeshire base was officially opened on 2 February 1944 as a satellite station for the nearby RAF St. David's. On 1 January 1946 the station was handed over to the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and was...
to instruct students on the Hawk
BAE Hawk
The BAE Systems Hawk is a British single-engine, advanced jet trainer aircraft. It first flew in 1974 as the Hawker Siddeley Hawk. The Hawk is used by the Royal Air Force, and other air forces, as either a trainer or a low-cost combat aircraft...
aircraft, becoming a Qualified Weapons Instructor
Qualified Weapons Instructor
Qualified Weapons Instructor is a qualification given to graduates of the Royal Air Force or Royal Navy Qualified Weapons Instructor courses...
.
In 1987 Garwood began an exchange tour with the USAF, flying the RF-4C Phantom from Bergstrom Air Force Base
Bergstrom Air Force Base
Bergstrom Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located seven miles southeast of downtown Austin, Texas. It was activated during World War II as a troop carrier training airfield, and was a front-line Strategic Air Command base during the Cold War...
in Texas. On his return in 1990 he converted to the Tornado GR1 before being posted as a Squadron Leader to II (Army Cooperation) Squadron
No. 2 Squadron RAF
No. 2 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently one of two RAF squadrons operating in the reconnaissance role with the Tornado GR4A and GR4 and is based at RAF Marham, Norfolk.No. II Squadron holds claim to being "the oldest heavier-than-air flying machine squadron in the world", along with No...
at RAF Laarbruch
RAF Laarbruch
The former Royal Air Force Station Laarbruch, more commonly known as RAF Laarbruch ICAO EDUL was a Royal Air Force station, a military airbase, located in Germany on its border with the Netherlands...
in West Germany, being deployed to Saudi Arabia shortly after his arrival, for Operation Granby
Operation Granby
Operation Granby was the name given to the British military operations during the Gulf War. 53,462 troops were deployed during the conflict. The total cost of operations was £2.434 billion of which at least £2.049 billion was paid for by other nations such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia; £200...
. He flew 19 night low-level reconnaissance sorties during the battle phase of the operation and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
.
In 1993 Garwood moved to the Ministry of Defence as a staff officer in Operational Requirements (Air) and then, in 1995, attended the Army Staff College at Camberley
Staff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
. In the same year he was promoted to Wing Commander and returned to II (AC) Squadron, now at RAF Marham
RAF Marham
Royal Air Force Station Marham, more commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station; a military airbase, near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia....
, as its Commanding Officer. His time in command included many detachments to patrol the No-Fly Zones over Iraq. This was followed by a staff appointment at the Permanent Joint Headquarters
Permanent Joint Headquarters
The Permanent Joint Headquarters is the British tri-service headquarters from where all overseas military operations are planned and controlled. It is situated at Northwood Headquarters in Northwood, London....
at Northwood
On promotion to Group Captain in 2000 Garwood returned to Marham as Station Commander, this tour including deployment to East Africa as Commander British Forces during Operation Ramson, carrying out air operations over the Horn of Africa in support of Operation Veritas in Afghanistan; he was appointed CBE in 2002.
Garwood attended the Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
in 2003 before deploying to Qatar to become the first post-combat phase Air Component Commander for Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. He returned to the UK in late 2003 to become Air Commodore Force Elements at No.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...
, his promotion to that rank coming in January of 2004. In that year he returned to the Ministry of Defence as Director of Air Staff, completing the Higher Command and Staff Course as part of his tour. In February 2007 he was posted on temporary duty as the Chief of Defence Staff’s Liaison Officer to the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is by law the highest ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and is the principal military adviser to the President of the United States, the National Security Council, the Homeland Security Council and the Secretary of Defense...
, returning in July of that year to the appointment of Air Officer Commanding No. 22 (Training) Group
No. 22 Group RAF
Number 22 Group is one of only three groups currently active in the Royal Air Force, falling under the responsibility of Deputy Commander-in-Chief in Air Command. Its current full title is Number 22 Group and it is responsible for RAF training policy and controlling the Royal Air Force College...
(and the concurrent appointment of Chief of Staff Training) in the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.
In July 2009 Garwood was appointed Chief of Staff Operations at Air Command and then, in April 2010, Acting Deputy Commander-in-Chief Operations following the reassignment of Air Marshal Tim Anderson - who was due to take up the appointment - to set up the Military Aviation Authority
Military Aviation Authority
The Military Aviation Authority is the UK organisation which regulates, audits and assures all aspects of military aviation.The MAA was created on 1 April 2010 as a result of the recommendations of the Haddon-Cave Review into the crash of RAF Nimrod XV230 over Afghanistan in September...
. Garwood was due to hand over this appointment to Air Marshal Andy Pulford
Andy Pulford
Air Marshal Andrew Douglas Pulford CBE is a Royal Air Force officer, currently serving as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at Air Command and also as Air Member for Personnel.-Service career:...
in September but the sudden death of the then Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Moran, resulted in Pulford in turn being reassigned, and Garwood's promotion to Air Marshal in June to take on the role on a permanent basis.
In the same month Garwood was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath.