Ashley Stevenson

Ashley David Stevenson
Stevenson in 2007
Born	(1958-09-30) 30 September 1958 (age 66)
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1981–2013
Rank	Air Commodore
Commands	No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group (2011–12) Royal Air Force College Cranwell (2008–10) Kandahar Airfield (2007–08) RAF Wittering (2005–06) No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron (1998–00)
Battles / wars	War in Afghanistan
Awards	Commander of the Order of the British Empire Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct

Air Commodore Ashley David Stevenson, CBE , ADC (born 30 September 1958) is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) officer and a former Commandant of Royal Air Force College Cranwell.

Military career

Stevenson was commissioned into the Flying Branch as a flying officer from the ranks of the RAF on 25 February 1982. ^[1] He conducted his flying training in the USA on the T-37 and T-38 aircraft, completing using the Hawk in the UK. ^[2]

He was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct in 1992 ^[3] for his actions in an ejection situation following a bird strike of his two-seat Harrier T.4 on 25 September 1991, where he rescued his rear seat passenger (the first woman to eject from a British combat jet) after she landed in the aircraft's burning wreckage. ^[4] This was Stevenson's second ejection from a Harrier after he had ejected from a GR.5 on 17 October 1990. ^[5]

As Officer Commanding No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron, Wing Commander Stevenson commanded the detachment of Harrier GR.7 aircraft deployed during the Sierra Leone crisis, ^[6] the first operation conducted by the combined RAF/Royal Navy Joint Force Harrier.

Stevenson served as Station Commander RAF Wittering for two years and, on promotion to air commodore, ^[7] was appointed Air Commodore Force Development Headquarters in No. 1 Group on 27 November 2006. ^[8]

Stevenson was appointed to the newly created NATO post of Commander Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan in July 2007. ^[9] He then became Commandant Royal Air Force College Cranwell and Director of Recruiting in April 2008. ^[10]

He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2012 Birthday Honours. ^[11]

References

1. Supplement to The London Gazette of Thursday, 8 April 1982 (No. 48947) retrieved 8 April 1982
2. RAF College Cranwell gets new commandant retrieved 9 April 2008
3. Second Supplement to The London Gazette of Monday, 27 July 1992 (No. 53002) retrieved 26 December 2019
4. Incident BAe Harrier T.4A XZ147, 25 Sep 1991 retrieved 26 December 2019
5. incident BAe Harrier II ZD355, 17 Oct 1990 retrieved 26 December 2019
6. Harriers return from Sierra Leone retrieved 11 June 2000
7. Royal Air Force Officer Promotions – 1 July 2007 retrieved 1 July 2007
8. Royal Air Force Air Rank Appointments List 9/06 retrieved 13 October 2006
9. Royal Air Force Air Rank Appointments List 2/07 Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 21 February 2007
10. Royal Air Force Air Rank Appointments List 08/07 retrieved 11 October 2007
11. "No. 60173". The London Gazette (Supplement). 16 June 2012. p. 6.

Military offices
Preceded by A.F.P. Dezonie	Officer Commanding No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron 1998–2000	Succeeded by Stuart Atha
Preceded by M. Jenkins	Station Commander RAF Wittering 2005–2006	Succeeded by Ro Atherton
Preceded by R.I. McAlpine	Air Commodore Force Development Headquarters 2006–2007	Succeeded by Andy Sudlow
New creation	Commander Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan 2007–2008	Succeeded by Bob Judson
Preceded by R.B. Cunningham	Commandant Royal Air Force College Cranwell 2008–2010	Succeeded by Paul Oborn