Commandant Air Cadets
Commandant Air Cadets is the title given to the Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for running the Royal Air Force Air Cadets, embracing the Air Training Corps (ATC) and the RAF Sections of the Combined Cadet Force (CCF RAF). The current Commandant Air Cadets is Group Captain John Lawlor who holds the role on an interim basis following the retirement of Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty. On 2nd June 2020 it was announced that the next incumbent will be Air Commodore Tony Keeling RAF, who will assume the post in September 2020. [1]
Commandant Air Cadets | |
---|---|
Incumbent Group Captain John Lawlor since 15 July 2020 | |
Reports to | AOC No. 22 Gp RAF |
First holder | John Adrian Chamier |
Previously known as Commandant ATC, the appointment is now held by an RAF Air Commodore and is based at Headquarters Air Cadets (HQAC) at RAF Cranwell. Prior to the establishment of HQAC as an independent unit, the post of Commandant ATC was held by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Reserve, Home and finally Flying Training Command. HQAC was formed 1 May 1960 within Flying Training Command.
The Commandant is responsible for over 1000 units of the ATC, 199 CCF (RAF) Sections and the nationwide network of Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS).
Until 24 March 2003, the Commandant Air Cadets also held the role of Air Officer Commanding Air Cadets, the appointment then passing to the Air Officer Commanding Training Group (TG). The post has now been merged into the post of AOC TG and no longer exists as a separate entity.
AOC Air Cadets and Commandant ATC 1941 – 2003
- 5 February 1941 Air Commodore Sir John Adrian Chamier (Ret'd)
- 1 February 1944 Air Marshal Sir Ernest Leslie Gossage (Ret'd)
- 1946 – 1960 Appointments held by Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Reserve / Home / Flying Training Command
- February 1960 Air Commodore Antony G Dudgeon[2]
- 14 September 1962 Air Commodore James Baird Coward[2]
- 23 June 1966 Air Commodore Edward J Morris[2]
- 18 June 1968 Air Commodore John N Stacey[2]
- 17 July 1971 Air Commodore Percy O V Green[2]
- 13 October 1973 Air Commodore Thomas H Blackham[2]
- 13 June 1977 Air Commodore Michael J E Swiney[2]
- 15 December 1979 Air Commodore Kenneth J Goodwin[2]
- 17 April 1982 Air Commodore P V Mayall[2]
- 6 January 1986 Air Commodore P P W Taylor[2]
- 5 January 1987 Air Commodore Peter G Naz[2]
- April 1990 Air Commodore Richard P Skelley[2]
- 23 April 1993 Air Commodore Peter M Stean[2]
- 12 January 1996 Air Commodore Jon A F Ford[2]
- 28 March 1998 Air Commodore John D Kennedy[2]
- 3 May 2002 Air Commodore Jon P Chitty[2]
Air Officer Commanding Air Cadets 2003 – 2005
- 23 March 2003 Air Vice-Marshal David Walker
- 4 January 2005 Air Vice-Marshal John Ponsonby
Commandant Air Cadets 2003 – present
- 23 March 2003 Air Commodore Jon P Chitty[2]
- July 2005 Air Commodore David Harrison[2]
- 13 October 2006 Air Commodore Gordon Moulds CBE[2]
- 20 May 2008 Air Commodore Ian R W Stewart[2]
- 1 June 2010 Air Commodore Barbara Cooper CBE[2]
- 17 August 2012 Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty CBE[2][3]
- 15 July 2020 Group Captain John Lawlor (Acting)
- 21 September 2020 Air Commodore Tony Keeling OBE
References
- https://twitter.com/ComdtAC/status/1267893385018454017
- Mackie, Colin. "Senior Royal Air Force Appointments" (PDF). gulabin.com. p. 58. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
- "Dawn is New Commandant". 17 August 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
Dawn McCafferty today took over as the Commandant of the Air Cadets