What was your first military interaction?
At the age of seven I was watching the BBC series ‘Sailor’ which was all about HMS Ark Royal, and I thought it was marvellous. When I was thirteen I was debating whether to join the Sea or Air Cadets, which were right next to my school. I realised then that the reason for the BBC series was that HMS Ark Royal was on her last voyage and they weren’t going to fly Phantoms and Buccaneers on that Aircraft Carrier anymore. So I had to decide at that point, was it the sailing or flying that interested me? I settled on flying, joined the Air Cadets, and never looked back.
What was the best thing about being an Air Cadet?
Well, I just loved it. The camps were a particular highlight for me. I went on an International Exchange to Israel with the Cadets in 1984/5. Enjoying tea with Israeli soldiers on the Golan Heights and seeing so many historic spots (including a visit to Jerusalem) was fascinating. Being an Air Cadet was such a good experience that I decided I wanted a career in the RAF. In fact, the RAF then sponsored me through my studies at Oxford University, where I was an active member of the University Air Squadron.
What happened after you finished your studies?
I finished my last summer camp with UAS, and fortuitously met my wife who was a nurse at the local hospital. Three weeks later I went to RAF Cranwell (August 1988), graduating just before Christmas, then went off to Flying Training for eighteen months. It all happened rather quickly, but having been in the Cadets and the UAS, it wasn’t too much of a culture shock and I felt well prepared.
You were in the RAF for 35 years. What were some of the highlights?
(Dear reader, at this point I must stress we’ve only reproduced a potted history! James’ career history is quite something and I would encourage you to corner him at our next drinks reception for more details.)
I started off flying Tornadoes, and that’s what initially brought me to Scotland. We arrived at Lossiemouth in 1994 and I did three jobs during that time. During this stint I did the Top Gun course and also took part in Desert Fox during the Christmas of 1998. Operation Desert Fox (the bombing campaign against Saddam Hussein’s Iraq by British and American Forces) was the first time I had seen active duty and been shot at.
My stepmother is Danish so I was delighted to spend a few magical years in Denmark doing a NATO job, when my children were five and six. My son is now a civil engineer so I thank living just north of Legoland for that professional inspiration.
I returned home after that and took on a Flight Commander role with 9 Squadron and that included the 2003 Gulf War. I actually led the first formation of flying the missiles into Baghdad which, to put it mildly, was a ringside seat on shock and awe. The second night my wingman was shot down by an American patriot, that was an extremely difficult incident. As the march to Baghdad took place, we fought a long and hard campaign in the sky.
After Staff College I went to work for a fascinating organisation called Joint Force Headquarters where international evacuations were our bread and butter. I was dispatched across the world, often with just a rucksack and some body armour, to assist in emergency situations. I would say that it was more Johnny English than James Bond! It was quite an exciting role because you never knew when things would kick off (although you could normally time it with when my wife and I were about to go on holiday) and you would have a few hours to prepare and then you would be gone.
Returning to the cockpit I headed into Afghanistan with the Tornado Force, replacing the Harrier Force, which required a lot of operational tweaks and changes. Whilst we were operating across Afghanistan, most of the bullets we shot and bombs we dropped during that time were in the Helmand region. Needless to say, that was a busy and challenging time.
Other roles I enjoyed included working in counterterrorism; attending the National Security Council during the Libya campaign; training Coastguards and counterterrorism police in Yemen; attending the Royal College of Defence Studies; two years in command of Akrotiri in Cyprus; and working with the Americans as the Combined Air Operations Center Director in Qatar when ISIS started throwing their weight around.
Next I ran the Defence Engagement Strategy team which was all about using military soft power abroad. It was then that I actually first met Ted, as we had set up the Defence Attaché Network, which was all about training the teams around the world and providing support.
My final post took me to Washington where I worked as the Defence Attaché during the Trump administration. It was politically fascinating and quite a unique time to be in post. After these exciting, challenging and very varied 35 years, my wife and I decided it was time to go home and start a new chapter.
Where did life take you after such a long RAF career?
As well as transitioning into the RAF Reserves, I took on a new job as the Club Secretary of the New Club in Edinburgh. I picked up so many skills during my time in the Forces that I didn’t find transitioning to civilian employment particularly challenging; in fact, having spent so long on the Embassy circuit was probably the perfect preparation for a job like this. You gain so many transferable skills whether you’re in the Regulars or Reserves.
And then you were approached to become the Chair of Lowland RFCA. What made you say yes?
Aside from Ted being very persuasive, it just all seemed to make sense to me! I know Ted, and I knew he will have assembled a really good team, which is a key thing to know when you’re taking on Chairmanship of an organisation. I’ve been a Cadet and I am a Reservist, with years of Regular experience which I thoroughly enjoyed. I’ve also spent plenty of time with people from all three Services, and I think that joint experience will help.
What are you most excited about getting your teeth into as the Chair?
Firstly, Andrew and all those who have gone before me have put us in a great position. But the big change is going to be the adoption of the Mitie contract and the way Estates is run. The early signs of all of this are very promising and I’m hopeful it will greatly improve the functionality of the Reserve and Cadet Estate which means we can concentrate on even more things. I’m also keen to ensure Reserves have as much fun as possible as part of their training and experience and I want to do what I can to encourage and fortify the Cadet Force Adult Volunteers.
If you had a message of encouragement to the Reservists and Cadets in the Lowlands of Scotland, what would it be?
The more you put in, the more you’ll get out. So embrace the experience and take every opportunity you can.
