Air Chief Marshal Sir Brian Kevin Burridge KCB, CBE, ADC, FCMI, FRAeS (b. 1949 in Maidstone, United Kingdom) is a retired senior Royal Air Force commander.
RAF career
Brian Burridge joined the Royal Air Force as a University Cadet. He was a pilot with operational background in the Maritime Patrol role, serving on Nos 206 and 120 Squadrons.
In 1986 he attended the Royal Naval Staff College and then later that year went on to command the Nimrod OCU. In 1990 he became Officer Commanding RAF Kinloss.
From 1992 to 1997 he served in the Ministry of Defence, initially as Deputy Director of Force Doctrine (RAF), later becoming the Director of Force Development in the Central Staff before spending almost 3 years as the Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff.
In 1997 he attended the Cabinet Office Top Management Programme and then later in the year became a Defence Fellow at King's College London. In 1998 he attended the Higher Command and Staff Course.
In 1998 he was promoted to Air Vice Marshal and was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 11/18 Group with operational command of the RAF’s air defence, maritime, and search and rescue forces. In this appointment, he was double-hatted in the NATO post of COMMAIREASTLANT.
In January 2000 he became Commandant of the Joint Services Command and Staff College, subsequently moving the College into a Public Private Partnership at Shrivenham.
In February 2002 he was appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief Strike Command, and also assumed the role of Commander of NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre 9, based at RAF High Wycombe. In October, he was detached from his duties at Strike Command to become the UK’s National Contingent Commander for operations against Iraq. Operating alongside US Central Command in Qatar, he commanded the 43,000-strong UK Joint Force during deployment, the combat phase and the early weeks of the aftermath.
In May 2003 he returned to the UK in May, and was subsequently appointed as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on the Iraq Operational Honours List. He was also appointed Commander-in-Chief Strike Command.
In April 2005 he was awarded an honorary degree from the Open University as Doctor of the University.[citation needed]
Later career
In 2006 he retired after 39 years of service with the Royal Air Force and joined Finmeccanica as Senior Military Advisor.
Other details
His first staff tour was as Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Strike Command.
He has completed a number of tours as a flying instructor which included command of Cambridge University Air Squadron.
Interests
In 2005 Air Marshal Burridge was President of the RAF Mountaineering Association and a trustee of the Windsor Leadership Trust.
See also
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