Steve Shell

Last updated

Steve Shell
Air Vice-Marshal Stephen Shell (cropped).jpg
Air Vice-Marshal Shell in 2019
AllegianceUnited Kingdom
Service/branch Royal Air Force
Years of service1988–present
Rank Air Marshal
Service number 8029793F
Commands RAF Odiham
No. 27 Squadron RAF
Battles/wars Gulf War
Iraq War
Operation Highbrow
War in Afghanistan
Awards Companion of the Order of the Bath
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service
Bronze Star Medal (United States)

Air Marshal Stephen Jeffrey Shell, CB , OBE is a senior Royal Air Force officer. He has served as director general of the Defence Safety Authority (DSA) since January 2022. He had served as director of the Military Aviation Authority from 2018 to 2021.

RAF career

Shell was commissioned in the General Duties Branch of the Royal Air Force on 5 May 1988 as an acting pilot officer. [1] He was regraded to pilot officer on 5 May 1989, [2] promoted to flying officer on 5 May 1990, [3] and to flight lieutenant on 5 November 1993. [4] He trained and served as a Chinook pilot. [5] In the half yearly promotions, he was promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1998, [6] and to wing commander on 1 January 2003. [7] He was officer commanding No. 27 Squadron RAF from 2005 to 2007, during which the squadron was involved in evacuating British citizens from Lebanon and deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Herrick. [8] From 2009 to 2011, he was station commander of RAF Odiham and commanding officer of the UK Chinook Force. [9] [5] [10]

On 12 December 2018, Shell was appointed director of the Military Aviation Authority. [11] On 7 January 2022, he was appointed director general of the Defence Safety Authority (DSA) and promoted to air marshal. [9] [12] [13]

In 2006, Shell was awarded the Bronze Star Medal by the United States "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services during coalition operations in Iraq". [14] In July 2007, he was awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Afghanistan during the period 1st October 2006 to 31st March 2007". [15] In the 2008 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). [16] In 2018, he received the Royal Air Force Long Service and Good Conduct Medal with 1 Clasp (i.e. 15 years plus 10 years service). [17] In the 2021 New Year Honours, he was appointed an Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB). [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Craig, Baron Craig of Radley</span> British air marshal (born 1929)

Marshal of the Royal Air Force David Brownrigg Craig, Baron Craig of Radley, is a retired Royal Air Force officer and member of the House of Lords. He was a fast jet pilot in the 1950s, a squadron commander in the 1960s and a station commander in the 1970s. He served as Chief of the Air Staff during the late 1980s, when the Boeing Airborne early warning and control system was ordered and the European Fighter programme was being developed. He then served as Chief of the Defence Staff during the Gulf War. He was granted a life peerage as Baron Craig of Radley after his retirement from active service in 1991, sitting as a crossbencher. As of 2024, he is the last living officer in the British Armed Forces to have held a five-star rank whilst on active service.

Air Chief Marshal Sir John Romney Day, was a senior Royal Air Force commander and a military advisor to BAE Systems.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Joseph Charles French,, often known as Sir Joe French, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer who was the last Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief RAF Strike Command (2006–07).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sue Gray (RAF officer)</span> Royal Air Force Air Marshal (born 1963)

Air Marshal Dame Susan Catherine Gray, is a former senior Royal Air Force officer. She served as Director of Combat Air at Defence Equipment and Support in the Ministry of Defence (2014–16), as Air Officer Commanding No. 38 Group (2016–18), and as Director-General of the Defence Safety Authority (2019–22). She is the most senior female officer ever to serve in the Royal Air Force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barry North</span>

Air Marshal Sir Barry Mark North, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Deputy Commander (Personnel) at RAF Air Command. A helicopter pilot, North has held command appointments at all levels, notably No. 78 Squadron in the Falkland Islands, the Special Forces Flight as a squadron leader and the newly established No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group in the Middle East as an air commodore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Pulford</span>

Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Douglas Pulford, is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander. A helicopter pilot with operational service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands War and Iraq War, Pulford commanded RAF Odiham and No. 2 Group, and served as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Operations, before taking up the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at Air Command and Air Member for Personnel in 2010. He became Chief of the Air Staff on 31 July 2013, retiring from the Royal Air Force on 12 July 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Medhurst</span>

Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Edward Hastings Medhurst, was a First World War Royal Flying Corps pilot on the Western Front and later a senior officer in the Royal Air Force.

Air Vice Marshal George Arthur Chesworth was a senior Royal Air Force officer and Lord Lieutenant of Moray.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Luck</span> Senior Royal Air Force officer

Air Vice-Marshal Christopher James Luck is a British charity executive and retired Royal Air Force officer. He was Commandant of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell from 2013 to 2016, and Commandant of the Joint Services Command and Staff College from 2017 to 2019. Since 2019, he has been CEO of the Shaw Trust.

Air Vice Marshal Deryck Cameron Stapleton, was a Royal Air Force officer who served as Commandant of the RAF Staff College, Bracknell from 1966 to 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Reynolds (RAF officer)</span>

Air Marshal Sean Keith Paul Reynolds, is a senior Royal Auxiliary Air Force officer who serves as Air Officer for Northern Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Turner (RAF officer)</span> Senior Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Andrew Mark Turner, is a former senior Royal Air Force officer and helicopter pilot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter J. M. Squires</span> Royal Air Force officer

Air Vice-Marshal Peter James Murray Squires, is a senior Royal Air Force officer, who currently serves as the Commander of British Forces Cyprus. From August 2016 to October 2019 he served as Commandant of RAF College Cranwell. He was formerly a Harrier pilot and served as commander of No. 100 Squadron RAF, flying BAE Systems Hawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philip Robinson (RAF officer)</span> Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal

Air Vice-Marshal Philip Jeremy Robinson, is a decorated British pilot and senior Royal Air Force officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harvey Smyth</span> Northern Irish Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Harvey Smyth, is a senior Northern Irish Royal Air Force officer, who has been the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff since March 2024. Previously, he served as Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group (2018–2020) and Air and Space Commander (2022–2024). Between February 2020 and August 2022, he took up the new post of Director Space, in the Ministry of Defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ian Duguid</span> Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal

Air Vice-Marshal Ian W. Duguid, is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, whose final post was as Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group RAF, headquartered at RAF High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire. Duguid was a Harrier pilot and Typhoon Force Commander before assuming the role of the Air Officer Commanding of No. 11 Group, which he served as from 2018 to November 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Marshall (RAF officer)</span> Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal

Air Marshal Allan Paul Marshall, is a senior Royal Air Force officer, who since March 2024 has been Air and Space Commander.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Maddison</span> Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Richard Clark Maddison, is a senior Royal Air Force officer. He was Air Officer Commanding No. 22 Group RAF from 2020 to 2023, and then served as Deputy Chief of the Air Staff and Air Member for Personnel from May to September 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nigel Colman (RAF officer)</span> British air force officer (born 1971)

Air Vice-Marshal Nigel James Colman is a retired officer of the Royal Air Force who last served as Commander of Joint Helicopter Command from 2020 to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Godfrey (RAF officer)</span> Royal Air Force officer

Air Marshal Paul Alexander Godfrey, is a senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as the first commander of the United Kingdom Space Command.

References

  1. ↑ "No. 51420". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 July 1988. p. 8452.
  2. ↑ "No. 51754". The London Gazette (Supplement). 5 June 1989. p. 6663.
  3. ↑ "No. 52158". The London Gazette . 4 June 1990. p. 10108.
  4. ↑ "No. 53498". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 November 1993. p. 19083.
  5. 1 2 Gregory, Chris (22 November 2009). "Pilot's 'privilege' to return to RAF Odiham". Basingstoke Gazette. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "No. 55187". The London Gazette (Supplement). 6 July 1998. p. 7376.
  7. ↑ "No. 56811". The London Gazette (Supplement). 7 January 2003. pp. 129–130.
  8. ↑ Rivett, Jen (30 September 2007). "RAF commander says farewell to squadron". Basingstoke Gazette. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Air Marshal Steve Shell CB OBE MA RAF". GOV.UK. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  10. ↑ Moss, Simon (5 November 2011). "Cash injection to keep RAF base flying high". Basingstoke Gazette. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  11. ↑ "Director Military Aviation Authority: Air Vice-Marshal Steve Shell OBE MA RAF". GOV.UK. Archived from the original on 23 July 2019. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  12. ↑ "Senior Appointments". Royal Air Force. 19 November 2021. Retrieved 19 July 2023. Air Vice-Marshal S J Shell CB OBE to be promoted Air Marshal and to be Director General Defence Safety Authority with effect from 7 January 2022 in succession to Air Marshal S C Gray CB who is retiring from the Service.
  13. ↑ "No. 63640". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 March 2022. p. 4776.
  14. ↑ "No. 58183". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 December 2006. p. 17361.
  15. ↑ "No. 58396". The London Gazette (Supplement). 19 July 2007. pp. 10412–10413.
  16. ↑ "No. 58557". The London Gazette (Supplement). 29 December 2007. p. 6.
  17. ↑ "No. 62445". The London Gazette (Supplement). 23 October 2018. pp. 19124–19139.
  18. ↑ "No. 63218". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2020. p. N2.
Military offices
Preceded by Director-General Defence Safety Authority
2022–present		Incumbent
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.