Military Wiki
Advertisement
Sir Stuart Peach
Stuart Peach in dress uniform
Sir Stuart Peach
Born 1956
Place of birth West Midlands
Allegiance Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch Ensign of the Royal Air Force Royal Air Force
Years of service 1977 to present
Rank Air Chief Marshal
Commands held IX (Bomber) Squadron
British Forces Italy
NATO Air Commander (Forward), Kosovo
Air Warfare Centre
Chief of Defence Intelligence
Chief of Joint Operations
Joint Forces Command
Battles/wars Op Jural (Op Southern Watch)
Kosovo
Awards

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart William Peach, KCB, CBE (born 1956) is a senior Royal Air Force officer. He was appointed the first Commander of Joint Forces Command in December 2011, having previously served as Chief of Joint Operations and prior to that as Chief of Defence Intelligence. He was appointed Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff on 10 May 2013.[1]

Service career[]

Peach was gazetted as a University Cadet in 1974,[2] being commissioned on graduation in 1977 as a Pilot Officer,[3] and promoted to Flying Officer[4] and Flight Lieutenant the following year.[5] A navigator, Peach served one tour on the English Electric Canberra in the photographic reconnaissance role and then three tours on the ground attack and reconnaissance variant of the Panavia Tornado in both the UK and Germany,[6] being promoted to Squadron Leader in 1986,[7] becoming a Qualified Weapons Instructor[6] and receiving the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in the 1990 Birthday Honours List.[8]

Stuart Peach in 95s

Stuart Peach in combat uniform

After Staff College in 1990 he returned to Germany to serve as Personal Staff Officer to, in turn, Deputy Commander RAF Germany, Commander-in-Chief RAF Germany and Commander Second Allied Tactical Air Force (of which RAF Germany formed a part),[6] being promoted to Wing Commander in 1991.[9] From 1994 to 1996 Peach commanded IX (Bomber) Squadron operating in the Strike, Attack and SEAD role, also acting as Deputy Station Commander RAF Bruggen.[6]

Following promotion to Group Captain in 1996[10] and an MPhil degree at the University of Cambridge,[6] Peach became Director Defence Studies (Royal Air Force) in 1997, commissioning scholarship, editing books and writing articles on air power. In 1999 he was appointed Assistant Director of the Higher Command and Staff Course at the Joint Services Command and Staff College (having previously graduated from that course).[6]

Peach served as Commander British Forces Italy from 1999 to 2000 and NATO Air Commander (Forward) in Kosovo in 2000,[6] as a result of which he was appointed CBE.[11] He was then appointed Commandant of the Air Warfare Centre[12] and Assistant Chief of Staff Intelligence[6] at RAF Strike Command, being promoted to Air Commodore in January 2001.[13]

Promoted to Air Vice Marshal in 2003,[14] Peach served as Director Intelligence Collection from July 2003 to March 2006.[6] He was promoted to Air Marshal in 2006,[15] and appointed Chief of Defence Intelligence,[16] becoming Chief of Joint Operations in March 2009[17] having been knighted in that year's New Year Honours List.[18]

Peach was promoted to Air Chief Marshal and appointed the first commander of the new Joint Forces Command in December 2011.[19] He went on to become Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff in May 2013.[20]

Education and personal[]

Peach graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in Geography, Economics and Social History and, in addition to his MPhil from Cambridge, has been awarded an honorary DTech degree from the University of Kingston, and is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He is the President of the RAF Rugby League, and is married with two children.[6]

Honours and awards[]

Order of the Bath UK ribbon

Order of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon General Service Medal 1962 BAR NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar

NATO Medal w Służbie Pokoju i Wolności BAR Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon UK Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service device

Order of the Bath UK ribbon Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) 2009 New Year Honours
Order of the British Empire (Military) Ribbon Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) 5 April 2001
General Service Medal 1962 BAR General Service Medal
NATO Medal Yugoslavia ribbon bar NATO medal for the former Yugoslavia
NATO Medal w Służbie Pokoju i Wolności BAR NATO medal for Kosovo
Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal ribbon Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal 2002
QEII Diamond Jubilee Medal ribbon Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal 2012
UK Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service device Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air 1990 Birthday Honours

References[]

  1. Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach KCB CBE ADC BA MPhil DTech DLitt FRAeS RAF
  2. "No. 46432". 16 Dec 1974. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46432/page/ 
  3. "No. 47352". 17 Oct 1977. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47352/page/ 
  4. "No. 47437". 16 Jan 1978. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47437/page/ 
  5. "No. 47670". 23 Oct 1978. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/47670/page/ 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Cambridge Conference 2007, Biography: Chief of Defence Intelligence
  7. "No. 50583". 30 Jun 1986. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/50583/page/ 
  8. "No. 52173". 15 Jun 1990. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52173/page/ 
  9. "No. 52591". 1 Jul 1991. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52591/page/ 
  10. "No. 54453". 1 July 1996. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/54453/page/ 
  11. "No. 56168". 6 Apr 2001. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56168/page/ 
  12. gulabin.com RAF Appointments p58 (Sep 2011) retrieved 3 Mar 2012
  13. "No. 56078". 2 Jan 2001. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/56078/page/ 
  14. "No. 57018". 5 Aug 2003. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57018/page/ 
  15. "No. 57931". 21 Mar 2006. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/57931/page/ 
  16. gulabin.com Tri-Service Appointments p7 (Sep 2011) retrieved 3 Mar 2012
  17. RAF Air Rank Appointments List 04/08 retrieved 9 Jun 2008
  18. "No. 58929". 31 Dec 2008. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/58929/page/ 
  19. RAF Air Rank Appointments List 07/11 retrieved 1 Dec 2011
  20. "New senior military officers appointed". Inside Government. 24 January 2013. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-senior-military-officers-appointed. Retrieved 24 January 2013. 

External links[]

Military offices
Preceded by
R J Horwood
Commandant Air Warfare Centre
July 2000 - June 2003
Succeeded by
C M Nickols
Preceded by
unknown
Director Intelligence Collection
July 2003 - March 2006
Succeeded by
unknown
Preceded by
Lt Gen A P Ridgway
Chief of Defence Intelligence
March 2006 - January 2009
Succeeded by
C M Nickols
Preceded by
Lt Gen J N R Houghton
Chief of Joint Operations
March 2009 - December 2011
Succeeded by
Lt Gen D A Capewell
New title Commander, Joint Forces Command
December 2011 to April 2013
Succeeded by
Richard Barrons
Preceded by
Sir Nick Houghton
Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff
May 2013–
Succeeded by
Incumbent


All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at Stuart Peach and the edit history here.
Advertisement