View source for Andrew Pulford

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox military person
|name= Sir Andrew Pulford
|image= Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford MOD 45155744.jpg
|image_size= 
|alt= 
|caption= Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford {{circa}} 2013
|nickname= 
|birth_date= {{birth date and age|1958|3|22|df=yes}}
|birth_place= 
|death_date= 
|death_place= 
|placeofburial= 
|allegiance= United Kingdom
|branch= [[Royal Air Force]]
|serviceyears= 1977–2016
|rank= [[Air Chief Marshal]]
|servicenumber= 
|unit= 
|commands= [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]] (2013–16)<br/>[[Air Member for Personnel]] (2010–13)<br/>[[No. 2 Group RAF|No.&nbsp;2 Group]] (2007–08)<br/>[[RAF Odiham]] (2001–03)<br/>[[No. 18 Squadron RAF|No.&nbsp;18 Squadron]] (1996–98)
|battles= 
{{tree list}}
* [[Falklands War]]
* [[Operation Banner]]
* [[Iraq War]]
** [[Operation Telic]]
{{tree list/end}}
|awards= [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]<br>[[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
|relations= 
|laterwork= 
}}
[[Air Chief Marshal]] '''Sir Andrew Douglas Pulford''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|GCB|CBE}} (born 22 March 1958)<ref name=WW/> 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 RAF|No.&nbsp;2 Group]], and served as Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Operations, before taking up the post of Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel at [[RAF Air Command|Air Command]] and [[Air Member for Personnel]] in 2010. He became [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]] on 31 July 2013, retiring from the Royal Air Force on 12 July 2016.

==Early life==
Born the son of Douglas and Jean Pulford, Pulford was educated at [[Magnus Church of England School|Magnus Grammar School]] in [[Newark-on-Trent|Newark]].<ref name=WW>''[[Who's Who (UK)|Who's Who]] 2010'', [[A & C Black]], 2010, {{ISBN|978-1-408-11414-8}}</ref>

==RAF career==
[[File:1967-05-27-Flugschau-Guetersloh-6.JPG|thumb|left|200px|[[Westland Wessex]], a helicopter type flown by Pulford in the late 1970s]]
Pulford joined the [[Royal Air Force]] as an acting [[pilot officer]] in January 1977,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47154|supp=y|page=2473|date=21 February 1977}}</ref><ref name="RAF CAS">{{cite web|editor=Mike Drewett|date=31 July 2013|url=http://www.RAF.mod.uk/news/archive/helicopter-pilot-becomes-cas-31072013|title=Helicopter Pilot becomes CAS|work=[[Royal Air Force]]|publisher=RAF.mod.uk|accessdate=28 July 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160805190909/http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/helicopter-pilot-becomes-cas-31072013|archive-date=5 August 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> joining [[No. 72 Squadron RAF|No. 72 Squadron]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Air Force Leadership: Whole Force Reality|publisher=RAF Leadership Centre|ISBN=978-0-9928097-2-0|date=2015}}</ref> before spending many of his 5,000 flying hours piloting Chinooks with [[No. 18 Squadron RAF|No.&nbsp;18 Squadron]] from [[RAF Odiham]].<ref name="RAF CAS"/><ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://www.RAF.mod.uk/organisation/amp.cfm|title=Air Member for Personnel & Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel|work=[[Royal Air Force]]|publisher=RAF.mod.uk|accessdate=27 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130118121122/http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/amp.cfm|archive-date=18 January 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was regraded to pilot officer in January 1978,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47451|supp=y|page=1267|date=30 January 1978}}</ref> and then promoted to [[flying officer]] in January 1979,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=47763|supp=y|page=1637|date=5 February 1979}}</ref> and [[flight lieutenant]] in July 1981;<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=48702|supp=y|page=10372|date=11 August 1981}}</ref> seeing service in the [[Falklands War]]<ref name="RAF CAS"/> with C Flight on board [[RFA Tidespring (A75)|RFA ''Tidespring'']], while on exchange service with the [[Royal Navy]] in 1982.<ref name=WW/> He had an exchange tour with the [[Royal Australian Air Force]] between 1985 and 1987.<ref name=WW/> Promoted [[squadron leader]] in January 1987,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=50793|supp=y|page=72|date=5 January 1987}}</ref> and to [[Wing commander (rank)|wing commander]] in January 1994,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=53537|supp=y|page=20689|date=31 December 1993}}</ref> he became Officer Commanding No.&nbsp;18 Squadron in 1996, and Principal Staff Officer to the [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]] in 1999.<ref name=WW/>

Promoted to [[group captain]] in January 2000,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55722|supp=y|page=13841|date=4 January 2000}}</ref> Pulford took the Higher Command and Staff Course at [[Defence Academy of the United Kingdom]], Shrivenham, in 2001, before becoming Station Commander at [[RAF Odiham]] in December 2001 and being deployed as Commander [[Joint Helicopter Command|Joint Helicopter Force]] Headquarters for [[Operation Telic]] in Iraq.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.TimRipley.co.uk/articles/iraq_war.pdf|publisher=Flight International|title=Battle Proven|accessdate=27 January 2013}}</ref> Appointed a [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] in the [[2004 Birthday Honours]],<ref name=cbe>{{London Gazette|issue=57315|supp=y|page=6|date=12 June 2004}}</ref> he was made Director Air Resources and Plans at the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] in August 2004 and, after being promoted to [[air commodore]] in January 2005,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57521|supp=y|page=16360|date=4 January 2005}}</ref> he became [[Air Officer Commanding]] [[No. 2 Group RAF|No.&nbsp;2 Group]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.RAF.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/03842F2D_1143_EC82_2E9354529F6416D2.doc|title=RAF Air Rank Appointments List 07/06 of 21 August 2006|work=[[Royal Air Force]]|publisher=RAF.mod.uk|accessdate=27 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004033615/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/03842F2D_1143_EC82_2E9354529F6416D2.doc|archive-date=4 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> with the rank of [[air vice marshal]] in February 2007.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=58245|supp=y|page=2084|date=13 February 2007}}</ref>
[[File:Air Marshal Pulford.jpg|thumb|200px|Air Marshal Pulford in RAF No.3 Dress (MTP)]]

Pulford then served as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) from September 2008,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.RAF.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/552FF238_1143_EC82_2EB93D60DD9287DF.doc|title=RAF Air Rank Appointments List 01/08 of 4 January 2008|work=[[Royal Air Force]]|publisher=RAF.mod.uk|accessdate=27 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208065905/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/552FF238_1143_EC82_2EB93D60DD9287DF.doc|archive-date=8 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> until his appointment as Deputy Commander-in-Chief (Personnel) at Air Command and Air Member for Personnel, based at [[RAF High Wycombe]],<ref name="RAF CAS"/> with the rank of [[air marshal]] in September 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.RAF.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/4A09776A_5056_A318_A8D4188BAF2A8399.doc|title=RAF Air Rank Appointments List 04/10 of 18 June 2010|work=[[Royal Air Force]]|publisher=RAF.mod.uk|accessdate=27 January 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121208065616/http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/4A09776A_5056_A318_A8D4188BAF2A8399.doc|archive-date=8 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Pulford was appointed a [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath]] in the [[2013 New Year Honours]].<ref name="RAF CAS"/><ref name=kcb>{{London Gazette|issue=60367|date=29 December 2012|page=2|supp=y}}</ref> He was also promoted to [[air chief marshal]] on taking up the appointment of [[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]] in July 2013,<ref name="RAF CAS"/><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=60575|supp=y|page=14490|date=23 July 2013}}</ref> the first [[helicopter pilot]] ever to be professional head of the Royal Air Force.<ref name="RAF CAS"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.Gov.uk/government/news/new-senior-military-officers-appointed|title=New senior military officers appointed|publisher=Inside Government|date=24 January 2013|accessdate=24 January 2013}}</ref> As of 2015, Pulford was paid a salary of between £175,000 and £179,999 by the department, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492289/150K_senior_salaries.csv/preview|title=Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015|date=17 December 2015|website=www.Gov.uk|accessdate=13 March 2016|archive-date=4 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190504113001/https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/492289/150K_senior_salaries.csv/preview|url-status=dead}}</ref> He was appointed a [[Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]] (GCB) in the [[2016 New Year Honours]].<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=61450|supp=y|page=N3|date=30 December 2015}}</ref> Pulford received his GCB at a joint investiture ceremony at [[Windsor Castle]] along with former [[First Sea Lord]], Admiral [[George Zambellas|Sir George Zambellas]], on 13 April 2016.<ref name=gcb>{{cite web|url=http://www.RoyalNavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2016/april/13/160413-joint-investiture-highlights-strength-of-royal-navy-and-royal-air-force-partnership|title=Joint investiture highlights strength of Royal Navy and Royal Air Force partnership|work=[[Royal Navy]]|publisher=RoyalNavy.mod.uk|date=13 April 2016|accessdate=14 April 2016}}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1982, Pulford married Nicola Jane Pearse; they have a son and a daughter.<ref name=WW/> Pulford's interests include military history, motorcycling, old cars and sailing.<ref name=WW/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{commons category|Andrew D. Pulford}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-mil}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Kevin Leeson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Director Air Resources and Plans|years=2004–2007}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Barry North]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Iain McNicoll]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Air Officer Commanding]] [[No. 2 Group RAF]]|years=2007–2008}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Stephen Hillier]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Chris Nickols]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff]] (Operations)|years=2008–2010}}
{{s-aft|after=[[David Capewell]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Simon Bryant (RAF officer)|Simon Bryant]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Deputy Commander-in-Chief Personnel [[RAF Air Command]]<br/>[[Air Member for Personnel]]|years=2010–2013}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Barry North]]}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=[[Stephen Dalton|Sir Stephen Dalton]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Chief of the Air Staff (United Kingdom)|Chief of the Air Staff]]|years=2013–2016}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Stephen Hillier|Sir Stephen Hillier]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Chief of the Air Staff}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pulford, Andrew}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:British military personnel of The Troubles (Northern Ireland)]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:Falklands War pilots]]
[[Category:Helicopter pilots]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force air marshals]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Falklands War]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Iraq War]]
[[Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel]]
[[Category:21st-century Royal Air Force personnel]]