- Jock Stirrup
Infobox Military Person
name=Air Chief Marshal Sir Graham Eric Stirrup
lived= Bda|1949|12|4–
placeofbirth=
placeofdeath=
caption= Sir Jock Stirrup
nickname=Jock Stirrup
allegiance= flag|United Kingdom
serviceyears=1970–
rank=Air Chief Marshal
branch= air force|United Kingdom
commands= Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Air Staff
No. 1 Group
unit=
battles= Dhofar WarOperation Veritas
awards=Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath
Air Force Cross
laterwork=Air Chief Marshal Sir Graham Eric Stirrup GCB, AFC, DSc, FRAeS FCMI RAF (born4 December 1949 ), commonly known as Sir Jock Stirrup, is a seniorRoyal Air Force commander and the current British Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS).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 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.After serving as Station Commander of
RAF Marham from 1990 to 1992 [http://www.rafweb.org/Stations/Station%20OCs-EAng.htm] , in 1993 Stirrup attended theRoyal College of Defence Studies (RCDS). His RCDS course colleagues included his current deputy SirTimothy Granville-Chapman , theVice Chief of the Defence Staff . He was appointedAir Officer Commanding No. 1 Group in 1997,Assistant Chief of the Air Staff in 1998 and DeputyCommander-in-Chief Strike Command in 2000.From September 2001 to January 2002, Stirrup was UK National Contingent Commander for operations against the Taliban in
Afghanistan .He served as Chief of the Air Staff from
1 August 2003 until13 April 2006 and was appointed CDS on 28 April 2006.Sir Jock is married with one son.
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 ofglobal warming [ [http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/25/climate_change_means_war_say_forces/ The Register] ] .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 . [ [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/25/wafg725.xml Telegaph.co.uk] ]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". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7273129.stm BBC News] ] .
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. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4208603.ece Sir Jock Stirrup: forces too stretched to cope with Iraq and Afghanistan] ]
Honours and memberships
*Stirrup is a Knight Grand Cross of the
Order of the Bath
*Stirrup is a fellow of theRoyal Aeronautical Society
*Stirrup is a member of theSociety of Knights of the Round Table . [ [http://www.arthuriansocietyofknights.org/members.html Society of Knights of the Round Table] ]References
External links
* [http://www.defensenews.com/conferences/dubai1203/2457284.html Defense News - Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup]
* [http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/AboutDefence/People/ChiefsOfStaff/ChiefOfTheDefenceStaff.htm Ministry of Defence - Chief of the Defence Staff]
* [http://www.poetv.com/video.php?vid=33538 Clip from The Daily Show]-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
