User:Turnerand/Andrew Turner RAF

Air Vice-Marshal Andrew Turner CBE MA MSc BA FRAeS CCMI RAF was born in 1967 and commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1985. He is currently Air Officer Commanding No 22 Group in the Royal Air Force.

He was educated at Kingswood School in Bath, the RAF Colleges Cranwell and Bracknell, the Indian Staff College, the UK Higher Command and Staff College, the Royal College of Defence Studies and the UK Pinnacle and US Capstone courses. He has studied at Oxford, Exeter, Kings College London, Chennai and the Open Universities earning Masters in International Relations and Strategic Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Oceanography and Cosmology.

A helicopter pilot with over 5000 flying hours, he has flown 1850 of those on 19 operational tours in Northern Ireland, Central America, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Bosnia, Kosovo, India, Albania, Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has commanded 28 (AC) Sqn, RAF Odiham, the UK Merlin and UK Chinook Forces, the Special Forces Aviation Wing, the Puma Force in Kosovo, Merlin Force in Iraq and the Chinook, Apache, Lynx and Sea King Forces in Afghanistan. Para trained he has completed staff appointments in the UK MOD in planning, operations and media directorates, PJHQ as the head of military planning, Washington as CDS’ Liaison Officer and in brigade, division and corps headquarters.

He was appointed as an Officer in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire as an Officer (OBE) in the 2006 Birthday Honours “in recognition of distinguished services in the Ministry of Defence in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and in home waters”. He was promoted to Commander within the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 Birthday Honours "in recognition of distinguished and gallant service in command of RAF Odiham and in Afghanistan during the period 21 November 2007 to 22 November 2009".

Married to Catherine with 2 sons, he lives near Henley-on-Thames and is not responsible for two Jack Russell terriers. He enjoys rowing, riding, watching rugby and occasionally playing polo and skiing badly.