Chris Harper (RAF officer)

Chris Harper
Air Marshal Harper in Kabul
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1976-
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands held	1 Gp, RAF Coltishall, 41(F) Sqn
Battles/wars	Op DENY FLIGHT
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Mention in Dispatches

Air Marshal Sir Christopher Nigel Harper KBE is a Royal Air Force Officer, and is currently the United Kingdom Military Representative to NATO and the European Union, having served for two years as Deputy Commander Allied Joint Force Command at Brunssum in the Netherlands. Prior to that appointment he was Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in the UK.

Service career

Educated at Alleyn's School in Dulwich and King's College London,^[1] Harper joined the Royal Air Force in the Flying branch in August 1976^[2] and was assigned to the SEPECAT Jaguar force, serving with 41(F), 31 and 14 Squadrons. He was given command of 41(F) Squadron in October 1994 and was actively involved in operations over Bosnia before reliquishing his command in 1997. In 1999 he was appointed Station Commander at RAF Coltishall and in that capacity was involved in operations over Iraq until he left the station in 2001. He was appointed CBE in December 2001^[3] and was Mentioned in Despatches for actions in the Gulf in April 2002.^[4]

He went on to be Director of Joint Commitments at the Ministry of Defence in 2004,^[5] Chief of Staff (Operations) at Air Command in 2005 and Air Officer Commanding, No. 1 Group in July 2007^[6] and having been promoted to Air Marshal was appointed Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Brunssum in April 2009.^[7]

He was appointed UK Military Representative to NATO and the EU in March 2011 ^[8] and promoted KBE in June 2011.^[9]

References

1. ^ NATO Biography
2. ^ London Gazette 47007 of 6 Sep 1976, p12206 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
3. ^ London Gazette 56430 of 31 Dec 2001, p6 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
4. ^ London Gazette 56541 of 19 Apr 2002, p4813 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
5. ^ Senior Ministry of Defence and Tri-service appointments
6. ^ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 07/06 of 21 Aug 2006 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
7. ^ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 09/08 of 19 Dec 2008 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
8. ^ RAF Air Rank Appointments List 07/10 of 17 Sep 2010 retrieved 17 Jun 2011
9. ^ London Gazette 59808 of 11 Jun 2011, p6 retrieved 17 Jun 2011

Military offices
Preceded by D. S. Griggs, Mar 1992-Oct 1994	Officer Commanding No. 41(F) Squadron Oct 1994-Dec 1997	Succeeded by J. P. Maloney, Dec 1996-Aug 1999
Preceded by S G G Dalton	Station Commander RAF Coltishall 1999–2001	Succeeded by R D Cobelli
Preceded by Unknown	Chief of Staff (Operations) Air Command 2005–2007	Succeeded by N D A Maddox
Preceded by D Walker	Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group 2007–2009	Succeeded by G J Bagwell
Preceded by C H Moran	Deputy Commander, Allied Joint Force Command, Brunssum 2009 – 2011	Succeeded by D Walker
Preceded by D R Bill	UK Military Representative, NATO & EU 2011 –	Succeeded by Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Harper, Chris
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