Sir Andrew Pulford | |
|---|---|
 Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulfordc. 2013 | |
| Born | (1958-03-22)22 March 1958 (age 67) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Service years | 1977–2016 |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Commands | Chief of the Air Staff (2013–16) Air Member for Personnel (2010–13) No. 2 Group (2007–08) RAF Odiham (2001–03) No. 18 Squadron (1996–98) |
| Conflicts | |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
Air Chief MarshalSir Andrew Douglas Pulford,GCB, CBE (born 22 March 1958[1]) is a retired seniorRoyal Air Force (RAF) commander. Ahelicopter pilot with operational service in Northern Ireland, theFalklands War andIraq War, Pulford commandedRAF Odiham andNo. 2 Group, and served as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Operations, before taking up the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel atAir Command andAir Member for Personnel in 2010. He becameChief of the Air Staff on 31 July 2013, retiring from the Royal Air Force on 12 July 2016.
Born the son of Douglas and Jean Pulford, Pulford was educated atMagnus Grammar School inNewark.[1]
Pulford joined theRoyal Air Force as an actingpilot officer in January 1977,[2][3] joiningNo. 72 Squadron,[4] before spending many of his 5,000 flying hours piloting Chinooks withNo. 18 Squadron fromRAF Odiham.[3][5] He was regraded to pilot officer in January 1978,[6] and then promoted toflying officer in January 1979,[7] andflight lieutenant in July 1981;[8] seeing service in theFalklands War[3] with C Flight on boardRFATidespring, while on exchange service with theRoyal Navy in 1982.[1] He had an exchange tour with theRoyal Australian Air Force between 1985 and 1987.[1] Promotedsquadron leader in January 1987,[9] and towing commander in January 1994,[10] he became Officer Commanding No. 18 Squadron in 1996, and Principal Staff Officer to theChief of the Air Staff in 1999.[1]
Promoted togroup captain in January 2000,[11] Pulford took the Higher Command and Staff Course atDefence Academy of the United Kingdom, Shrivenham, in 2001, before becoming Station Commander atRAF Odiham in December 2001 and being deployed as CommanderJoint Helicopter Force Headquarters forOperation Telic in Iraq.[12] Appointed aCommander of the Order of the British Empire in the2004 Birthday Honours,[13] he was made Director Air Resources and Plans at theMinistry of Defence in August 2004 and, after being promoted toair commodore in January 2005,[14] he becameAir Officer CommandingNo. 2 Group[15] with the rank ofair vice marshal in February 2007.[16]
Pulford then served as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) from September 2008,[17] until his appointment as Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) at Air Command and Air Member for Personnel, based atRAF High Wycombe,[3] with the rank ofair marshal in September 2010.[18]
Pulford was appointed aKnight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the2013 New Year Honours.[3][19] He was also promoted toair chief marshal on taking up the appointment ofChief of the Air Staff in July 2013,[3][20] the firsthelicopter pilot ever to be professional head of the Royal Air Force.[3][21] As of 2015, Pulford was paid a salary of between £175,000 and £179,999 by the department, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.[22] He was appointed aKnight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the2016 New Year Honours.[23] Pulford received his GCB at a joint investiture ceremony atWindsor Castle along with formerFirst Sea Lord, AdmiralSir George Zambellas, on 13 April 2016.[24]
In 1982, Pulford married Nicola Jane Pearse; they have a son and a daughter.[1] Pulford's interests include military history, motorcycling, old cars and sailing.[1]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Director Air Resources and Plans 2004–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Air Officer CommandingNo. 2 Group RAF 2007–2008 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) 2008–2010 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Deputy Commander-in-Chief PersonnelRAF Air Command Air Member for Personnel 2010–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chief of the Air Staff 2013–2016 | Succeeded by |
