Jock Stirrup
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| Sir Graham Eric Stirrup | |
|---|---|
| 4 December 1949 – | |
 Sir Jock Stirrup at the Ministry of Defence |
|
| Nickname | Jock |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service/branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1970– |
| Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
| Commands held | Chief of the Defence Staff Chief of the Air Staff No. 1 Group |
| Battles/wars | Dhofar War Operation Veritas |
| Awards | Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Air Force Cross |
Air Chief Marshal Sir Graham Eric Stirrup GCB, AFC, DSc, FRAeS, FCMI, RAF (born 4 December 1949), commonly known as Sir Jock Stirrup, was a fast jet pilot, and is now a senior Royal Air Force commander. He was the UK's Chief of the Air Staff from 2003 to 2006, and he is the current British Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).
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[edit] RAF career
Stirrup was educated at Merchant Taylors' School and the RAF College Cranwell, where he received his commission in 1970. In the early 1970s, while on loan service with the Sultan of Oman’s Air Force, Stirrup flew BAC Strikemasters in the Dhofar War. After he returned to Great Britain in 1975, Stirrup was posted to No. 41 Squadron where he flew the F-4 Phantom. Stirrup went on to serve in an exchange tour in the United States where he continued to fly Phantoms.
In March 1983, Stirrup, by then a Squadron Leader, was serving as a Flight Commander on No. 226 Operational Conversion Unit which was based at RAF Lossiemouth. His duties centred around the instruction of trainee pilots on the SEPECAT Jaguar. On 7 March 1983, Stirrup was carrying out a student progress check from the rear seat of his aircraft when they suffered a serious bird strike. Stirrup was unable to ascertain whether his student was conscious and forward vision through the canopy was obscured. One of his engines caught fire, and although ejecting from the aircraft would have been justified, not knowing whether the student was conscious or not, Stirrup managed to land at RAF Leuchars. Stirrup was later awarded the Air Force Cross for his actions.[1]
After serving as Station Commander of RAF Marham from 1990 to 1992[2], in 1993 Stirrup attended the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS). His RCDS course colleagues included his current deputy Sir Timothy Granville-Chapman, the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff. He was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in 1997, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in 1998 and Deputy Commander-in-Chief Strike Command in 2000.
From September 2001 to January 2002, Stirrup was UK National Contingent Commander for Operation Veritas (operations against the Taliban) in Afghanistan.
Stirrup was promoted to Air Chief Marshal[3] and appointed Chief of the Air Staff on 1 August 2003. He remained as the professional head of the RAF until 13 April 2006 and was appointed CDS on 28 April 2006, making him the first RAF officer to hold Britain's senior military post since 1994.
Stirrup is married and has one son.
[edit] Public comments whilst Chief of the Defence Staff
In June 2007, whilst speaking at Chatham House, Stirrup commented that Western militaries must be prepared to deal with the consequences of global warming[4].
On operations in Afghanistan, Stirrup has noted that whilst "the military is a key, an essential element in dealing with those problems, but by and large these problems can only be resolved politically" and that he favoured a pragmatic approach to dealing with former members of the Taliban.[5]
Following Prince Harry's early return from Afghanistan, Stirrup stated that the Prince might only be deployed in future if the risks involved "would be no higher than they would normally be in such circumstances".[6].
In June 2008, Stirrup made clear his view that the British Armed Forces were overstretched. Stirrup stated that the Armed Forces did not have the structure or resources to continue fighting in both Iraq and Afghanistan, unless the British involvement in one of the conflicts was reduced to a small scale.[7]
[edit] Honours and memberships
Stirrup has received the following honours:
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath[8]
- Air Aide de Camp to Her Majesty The Queen[3]
- Honorary Colonel 73 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers)[9]
Stirrup is associated with the following organizations:
- Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
- Member of the Society of Knights of the Round Table.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 49413, p. 9151, 11 July 1983. Retrieved on 2008-11-23.
- ^ Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation
- ^ a b London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 57018, p. 9733, 5 August 2003. Retrieved on 2008-11-23.
- ^ The Register
- ^ Telegraph.co.uk
- ^ BBC News
- ^ Sir Jock Stirrup: forces too stretched to cope with Iraq and Afghanistan
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 57665, p. 2, 11 June 2005. Retrieved on 2008-11-23.
- ^ London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 56614, p. 7575, 25 June 2002. Retrieved on 2008-11-27.
- ^ Society of Knights of the Round Table
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jock Stirrup |
- Defense News - Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup
- Ministry of Defence - Chief of the Defence Staff
- Clip from The Daily Show
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by F J Hoare |
Officer Commanding No 2 Squadron 1985 – 1987 |
Succeeded by P O Sturley |
| Preceded by D F A Henderson |
Station Commander RAF Marham 1990 – 1992 |
Succeeded by N R Irving |
| Preceded by J R Day |
Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group 1997 – 1998 |
Succeeded by J H Thompson |
| Preceded by T I Jenner |
Assistant Chief of the Air Staff 1998 – 2000 |
Succeeded by P O Sturley |
| Preceded by T I Jenner |
Deputy Commander-in-Chief Strike Command 2000 – 2002 |
Succeeded by Sir Brian Burridge |
| Preceded by Sir Peter Squire |
Chief of the Air Staff 2003 – 2006 |
Succeeded by Sir Glenn Torpy |
| Preceded by Sir Michael Walker |
Chief of the Defence Staff 2006 – |
Incumbent |
