Ashley David Stevenson
Stevenson in 2007
Born (1958-09-30) 30 September 1958
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branchRoyal Air Force
Years of service1981–2013
RankAir Commodore
Commands heldNo. 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)
Battles/warsWar in Afghanistan
AwardsCommander 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

  1. ↑ Supplement to The London Gazette of Thursday, 8 April 1982 (No. 48947) retrieved 8 April 1982
  2. ↑ RAF College Cranwell gets new commandant retrieved 9 April 2008
  3. ↑ Second Supplement to The London Gazette of Monday, 27 July 1992 (No. 53002) retrieved 26 December 2019
  4. ↑ Incident BAe Harrier T.4A XZ147, 25 Sep 1991 retrieved 26 December 2019
  5. ↑ incident BAe Harrier II ZD355, 17 Oct 1990 retrieved 26 December 2019
  6. ↑ Harriers return from Sierra Leone retrieved 11 June 2000
  7. ↑ Royal Air Force Officer Promotions – 1 July 2007 retrieved 1 July 2007
  8. ↑ Royal Air Force Air Rank Appointments List 9/06 retrieved 13 October 2006
  9. ↑ Royal Air Force Air Rank Appointments List 2/07 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 21 February 2007
  10. ↑ Royal Air Force Air Rank Appointments List 08/07 retrieved 11 October 2007
  11. ↑ "No. 60173". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2012. p. 6.
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