Nigel Colman (RAF officer)
Nigel Colman | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| 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 | Companion of the Order of the Bath Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Air Vice-Marshal Nigel James Colman CB 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
[edit]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]
Colman was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours,[7] and Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 2024 New Year Honours.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "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.
- ^ "No. 64269". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 December 2023. p. N2.