Stuart Atha
Encyclopedia
Air Vice Marshal Stuart David Atha DSO
ADC
is a serving senior officer of the Royal Air Force
and is currently Air Officer Commanding
No 1 Group
.
on 14 October 1984, promoted to flying officer
on 14 April 1985 (with seniority from 14 October 1982), flight lieutenant
on 14 April 1986, and squadron leader
on 1 July 1995. He served as a Fast Jet Qualified Flying Instructor on the Hawk
aircraft, before completing tours in Germany and the UK, flying the Harrier GR7 on No 1 (Fighter)
and No IV (Army Cooperation)
Squadrons. Following a tour as the Harrier tactics specialist at the Air Warfare Centre
, Atha attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course at Bracknell (1999–2000), and was promoted wing commander
on 1 July 1999. He then assumed command of No 3 (Fighter) Squadron
, again flying the Harrier GR7.
Following his command tour, Atha joined the Ministry of Defence
Directorate of Operational Capability for a short spell before becoming the Personal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal
Sir Jock Stirrup
. He was promoted group captain on 1 January 2005. In early 2006, he attended the Higher Command and Staff Course. Atha was station commander of RAF Coningsby
from 1 December 2006 - 15 December 2008.
Atha is a veteran of the conflicts in both the Balkans and Gulf with combat missions flown in Operation DELIBERATE FORCE (Bosnia 1995), Operation ALLIED FORCE (Kosovo 1999) and Operation TELIC
(Iraq 2003). On 31 October 2003 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
for his leadership in Iraq. He was appointed Aide-de-Camp
to the Queen on 12 February 2007.
Atha's tour in the Middle East was followed in April 2010 with an appointment as Head of Joint Capability at the Ministry of Defence
.
He was promoted Air Vice Marshal and appointed Air Officer Commanding No.1 Group RAF on 12 Aug 11
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
is a serving senior officer of the 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...
and is currently Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
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...
.
Military career
Atha joined the RAF after graduating from Glasgow University in 1984. He was commissioned as a pilot officerPilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
on 14 October 1984, promoted to flying officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
on 14 April 1985 (with seniority from 14 October 1982), flight lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
on 14 April 1986, and 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...
on 1 July 1995. He served as a Fast Jet Qualified Flying Instructor 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, before completing tours in Germany and the UK, flying the Harrier GR7 on No 1 (Fighter)
No. 1 Squadron RAF
No. 1 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated the Harrier GR9 from RAF Cottesmore until 28 January 2011.The squadron motto is In omnibus princeps , appropriate for the RAF's oldest squadron and one that has been involved in almost every major British military operation since...
and No IV (Army Cooperation)
No. IV Squadron RAF
No.4 Squadron, of the Royal Air Force operated the Harrier GR7, GR9 and T10 from RAF Wittering until January 2011.-Formation and First World War:...
Squadrons. Following a tour as the Harrier tactics specialist at the Air Warfare Centre
Air Warfare Centre
The Air Warfare Centre, known as the AWC, is a Royal Air Force research and testing organization based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire in the United Kingdom...
, Atha attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course at Bracknell (1999–2000), and was promoted 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...
on 1 July 1999. He then assumed command of No 3 (Fighter) Squadron
No. 3 Squadron RAF
No 3 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Typhoon F2, FGR4 and T3 from RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire.No 3 Squadron, which celebrated its 95th anniversary over the weekend of 11-13 May 2007, is unique in the RAF for having two official crests....
, again flying the Harrier GR7.
Following his command tour, Atha joined 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....
Directorate of Operational Capability for a short spell before becoming the Personal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal
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 Jock Stirrup
Jock Stirrup
Air Chief Marshal Graham Eric "Jock" Stirrup, Baron Stirrup, GCB, AFC, FRAeS, FCMI, RAF, is a former senior Royal Air Force commander, who was the Chief of the Defence Staff from 2006 until his retirement in late 2010. He is also a Crossbench member of the House of Lords.As a junior RAF officer,...
. He was promoted group captain on 1 January 2005. In early 2006, he attended the Higher Command and Staff Course. Atha was station commander of RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby
RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force station in Lincolnshire, England. It has been commanded by Group Captain Martin Sampson since 10 December 2010.-Operational units:...
from 1 December 2006 - 15 December 2008.
Atha is a veteran of the conflicts in both the Balkans and Gulf with combat missions flown in Operation DELIBERATE FORCE (Bosnia 1995), Operation ALLIED FORCE (Kosovo 1999) and 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...
(Iraq 2003). On 31 October 2003 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for his leadership in Iraq. He was appointed Aide-de-Camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to the Queen on 12 February 2007.
Atha's tour in the Middle East was followed in April 2010 with an appointment 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....
.
He was promoted Air Vice Marshal and appointed Air Officer Commanding No.1 Group RAF on 12 Aug 11