Simon Bryant
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Simon Bryant KCB
CBE
is a Royal Air Force
officer, currently serving as Commander-in-Chief of Air Command
, and the second-most senior officer in the service. He was appointed in 2010, following the sudden death of the then C-in-C, ACM Sir Christopher Moran, having served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel for just over a year.
He was knighted in the 2011 New Year Honours
List.
. Promoted to Squadron Leader in 1985, Bryant then flew the Tornado F3
as a squadron executive at RAF Leeming
.
Following a tour in the Air Secretary's Department, Staff College (graduating in 1992), a Force Development appointment in the MOD, and promotion to Wing Commander in 1993, Bryant served as a Senior Operations Officer at the Combined Air Operations Centre at Vicenza in 1996, before being appointed Commanding Officer of 43(F) Squadron
at RAF Leuchars
, again flying the Tornado F3.
Promoted Group Captain in 1999, Bryant served as the Personal Staff Officer to the Deputy Supreme Commander at SHAPE
before being appointed Commander of British Forces in Oman; he was awarded a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service
in 2002.
Following the Higher Command and Staff Course, Bryant was promoted to Air Commodore in 2004, his initial appointment being as Air Officer Scotland
before a further tour in the Middle East as Director of the Combined Air Operations Centre at Al Udeid
in Qatar
; he was appointed CBE in 2005. On return to the UK, a tour as Head of Joint Capability at the Ministry of Defence
was followed by his promotion to Air Vice Marshal and appointment as Chief of Staff Personnel (and Air Secretary) in 2006. In 2009 he was promoted to Air Marshal and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel (and Air Member for Personnel), in which position he had been serving for just over a year when the then Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Moran
died suddenly, and Bryant was promoted in order to replace Moran. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2011 New Year Honours List.
In June 2011, just days after Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope
, the First Sea Lord, spoke out about the ability of the Armed Forces to continue supporting the UN intervention in Libya following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review
, it was revealed, in briefing notes obtained by The Daily Telegraph, that Sir Simon believed that "huge" demands were being placed on equipment and personnel. Armed Forces minister Nick Harvey
MP said that the UK continued to have the resources necessary to carry out operations. Bryant said, "Morale remains fragile. Although fighting spirit remains positive, this assessment will be challenged by individual harmony targets as Operation Ellamy [in Libya] endures [after September]." He continued, "There is decreasing satisfaction with the remunerative offer and allowances cut, and the pay freeze continues to bite. The impact of SDSR continues to undermine the sense of being valued. There is concern over the perceived lack of strategic direction which is restricting confidence in the senior leadership." At a press conference, Prime Minister David Cameron gave a sign of his frustration by saying, "There are moments when I wake up and think, 'You do the fighting, I'll do the talking.'" Mr Cameron added, "Time is on our side, not Gaddafi's. We are allied to some of the richest and most militarily capable countries in the world. We have the Libyan people on our side and we'll keep going."
and the University of Nottingham
, graduating in 1977 in Geography, Bryant is married to Helen, and they have a son, Benjamin, and daughter Alexandra. He is a sportsman, particularly enjoying golf, real tennis
, skiing, hockey and squash.
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Simon Bryant KCB
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...
is a 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, currently serving as Commander-in-Chief of 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....
, and the second-most senior officer in the service. He was appointed in 2010, following the sudden death of the then C-in-C, ACM Sir Christopher Moran, having served as Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel for just over a year.
He was knighted in the 2011 New Year Honours
2011 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 2011, principally for the United Kingdom but also the Commonwealth Realms, were announced on 31 December 2010 to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2011....
List.
Service career
Bryant was commisioned as a University Cadet in 1974, being regraded on graduation, and then promoted to Flying Officer, and Flight Lieutenant in 1978. Trained as a fast jet navigator, he completed two tours on the F-4 Phantom in the Air Defence role before an exchange tour with the US Navy, instructing on the F-14 TomcatF-14 Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is a supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental program following the collapse of the F-111B project...
. Promoted to Squadron Leader in 1985, Bryant then flew the Tornado F3
Panavia Tornado ADV
The Panavia Tornado Air Defence Variant is a long-range, twin-engine interceptor version of the swing-wing Panavia Tornado. The aircraft's first flight was on 27 October 1979, and it entered service in 1986. It was retired on 22 March 2011 by the Royal Air Forceand is now only in service with the...
as a squadron executive at RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming
RAF Leeming is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire, UK.HRH The Duchess of Cornwall is the Honorary Air Commodore of RAF Leeming. The Station Commander is Group Captain Anthony Innes....
.
Following a tour in the Air Secretary's Department, Staff College (graduating in 1992), a Force Development appointment in the MOD, and promotion to Wing Commander in 1993, Bryant served as a Senior Operations Officer at the Combined Air Operations Centre at Vicenza in 1996, before being appointed Commanding Officer of 43(F) Squadron
No. 43 Squadron RAF
No. 43 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland in the air defence role until disbanded in July 2009.-In World War I:...
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:...
, again flying the Tornado F3.
Promoted Group Captain in 1999, Bryant served as the Personal Staff Officer to the Deputy Supreme Commander at SHAPE
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
before being appointed Commander of British Forces in Oman; he was awarded a Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service
The Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service is a British military award that recognises meritorious service during, or in support of, operations...
in 2002.
Following the Higher Command and Staff Course, Bryant was promoted to Air Commodore in 2004, his initial appointment being as Air Officer Scotland
Air Officer Scotland
Air Officer Scotland is the senior Royal Air Force Officer holding the command appointment of a Scottish air station.Presently, Air Officer Scotland is held by the Station Commander, RAF Leuchars who is currently Air Commodore R J Atkinson....
before a further tour in the Middle East as Director of the Combined Air Operations Centre at Al Udeid
Al Udeid Air Base
Al Udeid Air Base is a military base west of Doha, Qatar. It houses foreign coalition personnel and assets. It is host to a forward headquarters of United States Central Command, headquarters of United States Air Forces Central Command, and home to both No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group RAF and the...
in Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
; he was appointed CBE in 2005. On return to the UK, a tour as Head of Joint Capability at 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....
was followed by his promotion to Air Vice Marshal and appointment as Chief of Staff Personnel (and Air Secretary) in 2006. In 2009 he was promoted to Air Marshal and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel (and Air Member for Personnel), in which position he had been serving for just over a year when the then Commander-in-Chief, Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Moran
Chris Moran
Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Hugh "Chris" Moran, KCB, OBE, MVO, ADC, FRAeS , was a fast jet pilot and later a senior commander in the Royal Air Force...
died suddenly, and Bryant was promoted in order to replace Moran. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2011 New Year Honours List.
In June 2011, just days after Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope
Mark Stanhope
Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope, GCB, OBE is the First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff of the United Kingdom, thus the professional head of the Royal Navy.-Early life:...
, the First Sea Lord, spoke out about the ability of the Armed Forces to continue supporting the UN intervention in Libya following the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review
Strategic Defence and Security Review
The Strategic Defence and Security Review was announced by the newly formed Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government of the United Kingdom in May 2010, and published on 19 October 2010...
, it was revealed, in briefing notes obtained by The Daily Telegraph, that Sir Simon believed that "huge" demands were being placed on equipment and personnel. Armed Forces minister Nick Harvey
Nick Harvey
Nicholas Barton "Nick" Harvey is a British Liberal Democrat politician. He is the Member of Parliament for North Devon and the Minister of State for the Armed Forces.-Early life and education:...
MP said that the UK continued to have the resources necessary to carry out operations. Bryant said, "Morale remains fragile. Although fighting spirit remains positive, this assessment will be challenged by individual harmony targets as Operation Ellamy [in Libya] endures [after September]." He continued, "There is decreasing satisfaction with the remunerative offer and allowances cut, and the pay freeze continues to bite. The impact of SDSR continues to undermine the sense of being valued. There is concern over the perceived lack of strategic direction which is restricting confidence in the senior leadership." At a press conference, Prime Minister David Cameron gave a sign of his frustration by saying, "There are moments when I wake up and think, 'You do the fighting, I'll do the talking.'" Mr Cameron added, "Time is on our side, not Gaddafi's. We are allied to some of the richest and most militarily capable countries in the world. We have the Libyan people on our side and we'll keep going."
Education and Personal
Educated at Stamford SchoolStamford School
Stamford School is an English independent school situated in the market town of Stamford, Lincolnshire, England. It has been a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference since 1920.-History:...
and the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
, graduating in 1977 in Geography, Bryant is married to Helen, and they have a son, Benjamin, and daughter Alexandra. He is a sportsman, particularly enjoying golf, real tennis
Real tennis
Real tennis – one of several games sometimes called "the sport of kings" – is the original indoor racquet sport from which the modern game of lawn tennis , is descended...
, skiing, hockey and squash.