Air Secretary

For the former British cabinet political office, see Secretary of State for Air.

Air Secretary and Chief of Staff, Personnel
Ensign of the Royal Air Force (Air Sec Command Flag)
Incumbent Air Vice-Marshal Simon Edwards since August 2023
Ministry of Defence
Style	Air Vice-Marshal
Abbreviation	COS Pers/Air Sec
Reports to	Chief of the Air Staff
Appointer	Sovereign of the United Kingdom
Formation	4 February 1957
First holder	Air Marshal Sir Anthony Skingsley
Website	Official website

The Air Secretary and Chief of Staff, Personnel^[1] is the Royal Air Force officer with responsibility for appointments, promotions, postings, and discipline of high ranking members of the British air force. From 1978 to 1983 the Air Secretary was more often referred to as "Air Officer Commanding Royal Air Force Personnel Management Centre".^[2] It is a senior RAF appointment, held by an officer holding the rank of air vice-marshal and appointed by the sovereign. The Air Secretary's counterpart in the British Army is the Military Secretary and the Royal Navy equivalent is the Naval Secretary.

Air secretaries

The following officers have held the post:^[3]

• 4 February 1957 Air Marshal Sir Denis Barnett^[4]
• 1 May 1959 Air Chief Marshal Sir Theodore McEvoy^[5]
• 22 October 1962 Air Chief Marshal Sir William MacDonald^[6]
• 14 July 1966 Air Marshal Sir Donald Evans^[7]
• 7 December 1967 Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Burnett^[8]
• 27 March 1970 Air Marshal Sir Gareth Clayton
• 31 March 1972 Air Marshal Sir John Barraclough^[9]
• 15 October 1973 Air Chief Marshal Sir Derek Hodgkinson^[10]
• 28 February 1976 Air Marshal Sir Neville Stack^[11]
• 1978 – 1983, post vacant
• 1983 Air Vice-Marshal J B Duxbury
• December 1985 Air Vice-Marshal Tony Mason
• 10 February 1989 Air Vice-Marshal Robert Honey^[12]
• March 1994 Air Vice Marshal Robert O'Brien
• August 1998 Air Vice Marshal Ian Michael Stewart^[13]
• 2003 Air Vice-Marshal Graham Miller^[14]
• July 2004 Air Vice-Marshal Peter Ruddock^[15]
• 22 May 2006 Air Vice-Marshal S Bryant^[16]
• 27 March 2009 Air Vice-Marshal Michael Lloyd^[17]
• September 2011 Air Vice-Marshal Matthew Wiles
• 2013–2016 Air Vice-Marshal David Stubbs^[18][19]
• July 2016 – February 2020: Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot^[20]
• February 2020 – August 2023: Air Vice-Marshal Maria Byford^[21]
• August 2023 – Present: Air Vice-Marshal Simon Edwards^[22]

See also

• Air Council
• Air Force Board

References

1. "Chief of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020. Chief of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary
2. Whitaker's Almanack 1979. William Clowes. p. 475.
3. "Senior Royal Air Force Appointments" (PDF), Colin Mackie's website, December 2021
4. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Denis Barnett (05167)". Air of Authority. 19 July 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
5. "Air Chief Marshal Sir Theodore McEvoy (16181)". Air of Authority. 21 June 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
6. "Air Chief Marshal Sir William MacDonald (28045)". Air of Authority. 16 April 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
7. "No. 44057". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 July 1966. p. 8135.
8. "No. 44472". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 December 1967. p. 13574.
9. "No. 45641". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 April 1972. p. 4287.
10. "No. 46109". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 October 1973. p. 12554.
11. "No. 46839". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 March 1976. p. 3191.
12. "No. 51650". The London Gazette (Supplement). 20 February 1989. p. 2179.
13. "Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service". Archived from the original on 22 April 2010.
14. Section 7 – A Guide to Appointments & Invitations
15. Whitaker's Almanack 2005. A & C Black. 2004. p. 373. ISBN 978-0713669954.
16. "Air Rank Appointments List 4/06". Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
17. "AIR RANK APPOINTMENTS LIST 09/08". Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2010.
18. "Air Commodore Chris Luck has taken over as Commandant of the RAF College Cranwell and director of recruitment and initial officer training (RAF)". Grantham Journal. 30 December 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2014.^{[permanent dead link]}
19. "Ups and outs : December 2013". Defence Viewpoints. Retrieved 11 March 2014.
20. "Senior Appointments". RAF. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
21. "Senior Appointments 10 February 2020". raf.mod.uk. Royal Air Force. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
22. "Senior Appointments". Royal Air Force. 18 July 2023.