Ashley Stevenson
Ashley David Stevenson | |
|---|---|
Stevenson in 2007 | |
| Born | 30 September 1958 |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | Royal Air Force |
| Service years | 1981–2013 |
| Rank | Air Commodore |
| Commands | No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (2011–12) Royal Air Force College Cranwell (2008–10) Kandahar Airfield (2007–08) RAF Wittering (2005–06) No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron (1998–00) |
| Conflicts | War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct |
Air Commodore Ashley David Stevenson, CBE, ADC (born 30 September 1958) is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and a former Commandant of Royal Air Force College Cranwell.
Military career
Stevenson was commissioned into the Flying Branch as a flying officer from the ranks of the RAF on 25 February 1982.[1] He conducted his flying training in the USA on the T-37 and T-38 aircraft, completing using the Hawk in the UK.[2]
He was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct in 1992[3] for his actions in an ejection situation following a bird strike of his two-seat Harrier T.4 on 25 September 1991, where he rescued his rear seat passenger (the first woman to eject from a British combat jet) after she landed in the aircraft's burning wreckage.[4] This was Stevenson's second ejection from a Harrier after he had ejected from a GR.5 on 17 October 1990.[5]
As Officer Commanding No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, Wing Commander Stevenson commanded the detachment of Harrier GR.7 aircraft deployed during the Sierra Leone crisis,[6] the first operation conducted by the combined RAF/Royal Navy Joint Force Harrier.
Stevenson served as Station Commander RAF Wittering for two years and, on promotion to air commodore,[7] was appointed Air Commodore Force Development Headquarters in No. 1 Group on 27 November 2006.[8]
Stevenson was appointed to the newly created NATO post of Commander Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan in July 2007.[9] He then became Commandant Royal Air Force College Cranwell and Director of Recruiting in April 2008.[10]
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours.[11]
References
- ^ Supplement to The London Gazette of Thursday, 8 April 1982 (No. 48947) retrieved 8 April 1982
- ^ RAF College Cranwell gets new commandant retrieved 9 April 2008
- ^ Second Supplement to The London Gazette of Monday, 27 July 1992 (No. 53002) retrieved 26 December 2019
- ^ Incident BAe Harrier T.4A XZ147, 25 Sep 1991 retrieved 26 December 2019
- ^ incident BAe Harrier II ZD355, 17 Oct 1990 retrieved 26 December 2019
- ^ Harriers return from Sierra Leone retrieved 11 June 2000
- ^ Royal Air Force Officer Promotions – 1 July 2007 retrieved 1 July 2007
- ^ Royal Air Force Air Rank Appointments List 9/06 retrieved 13 October 2006
- ^ Royal Air Force Air Rank Appointments List 2/07 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 21 February 2007
- ^ Royal Air Force Air Rank Appointments List 08/07 retrieved 11 October 2007
- ^ "No. 60173". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2012. p. 6.