Nigel Colman (RAF officer)
Nigel Colman | |
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Allegiance | Vereinigtes Königreich |
Service/ | Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1990–2023 |
Rank | Air Vice-Marshal |
Commands | Joint Helicopter Command RAF Benson No. 78 Squadron |
Battles/wars | Northern Ireland Bosnia Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
Awards | Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Air Vice-Marshal Nigel James Colman, OBE (born 18 January 1971) is a retired officer of the Royal Air Force who last served as Commander of Joint Helicopter Command from 2020 to 2023.
RAF career
Colman was commissioned into the Royal Air Force (RAF) on 20 June 1991.[1] As officer commanding No. 78 Squadron he saw action in Iraq and then in Afghanistan.[2] He became station commander at RAF Benson as well as Puma and Merlin force commander in October 2012.[3] He saw the Merlins leave the force in October 2014.[4]
Colman went on to be Deputy Director of Military Support in July 2015, followed by a move to become the Head of Military Strategic Effects at the Ministry of Defence in April 2018 and Commander of Joint Helicopter Command in March 2020.[5] He stepped down from this position in March 2023,[5] and retired from the RAF at his own request in August 2023.[6]
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours.[7]
References
- ^ "No. 52672". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 September 1991. p. 14859.
- ^ "RAF helicopters return home from Iraq and preparations for Afghanistan begin". Ministry of Defence. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "Pilot takes over at RAF station". Oxford Mail. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ "Mighty Merlins leave RAF Benson for a new life with the Royal Navy". Get Reading. 1 October 2014. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
- ^ a b "Senior Appointments". Royal Air Force. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
- ^ "No. 64188". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 October 2023. p. 19709.
- ^ "No. 59647". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2010. p. 6.