Brian Burridge
Encyclopedia
Air Chief Marshal
Sir Brian Kevin Burridge KCB
, CBE
, ADC
, FCMI
, FRAeS
(b. 1949 in Maidstone, United Kingdom) is a retired Royal Air Force
officer. A former Nimrod pilot, Burridge was in overall command of British forces under Operation Telic
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
.
as a University Cadet
(as a member of Cambridge University Air Squadron
) being commissioned into the Royal Air Force on 24 September 1967. He was a pilot with operational background in the Maritime Patrol role, serving on Nos 206
and 120
Squadrons.
Burridge was promoted to the rank of pilot officer
on 15 July 1970, to flying officer
on 15 January 1971, flight lieutenant
on 13 April 1972 to squadron leader
on 1 July 1979 and to wing commander
on 1 July 1985. In 1986 he attended the Royal Naval Staff College and then later that year went on to command the Nimrod Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). Promoted to group captain
in 1990, he became Officer Commanding RAF Kinloss
.
From 1992 he served in the Ministry of Defence
, initially as Deputy Director of Force Doctrine (RAF) and later becoming the Director of Force Development in the Central Staff before being made Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff
in 1994 in the rank of Air Commodore
. In 1997 he attended the Cabinet Office Top Management Programme and then later in the year became a Defence Fellow at King's College London
. In 1998 he attended the Higher Command and Staff Course being promoted to Air Vice-Marshal
on 1 July 1998. In January 2000 he became Commandant of the Joint Services Command and Staff College
, subsequently moving the College into a Public Private Partnership at Shrivenham
. On 12 February 2002, Burridge was promoted to Air Marshal
and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief
, Strike Command
,
Burridge served as Air Aide de Camp to Queen Elizabeth II from 31 July 2003, to 17 January 2006. and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath "for gallant and distinguished services whilst on operations in Iraq during the period 19th March to 19th April 2003" on 31 October 2003. In June 2003, Burridge appeared before the Commons Defence Select Committee
, telling MPs of delays in distributing equipment to troops in Iraq and of his role in vetoing potentially controversial air strikes while he was in command in Iraq.
Burridge retired on 18 January 2006 at the rank of Air Chief Marshal
though his commission in the reserve was extended to January 2015.
On 8 December 2009, Burridge gave evidence to The Iraq Inquiry.
Battle of Britain Trust and was present at the facility's closing ceremony in 2007. He attained a master's degree
in business administration (MBA) from the Open University
.
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Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Brian Kevin Burridge KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, ADC
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
, FCMI
Chartered Management Institute
The Chartered Management Institute is a professional institution for managers, based in the United Kingdom.In addition to supporting its members, the organisation encourages management development, carries out research, produces a wide variety of publications on management interests, and publishes...
, FRAeS
Royal Aeronautical Society
The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the global aerospace community.-Function:...
(b. 1949 in Maidstone, United Kingdom) is a retired Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
officer. A former Nimrod pilot, Burridge was in overall command of British forces under Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
RAF career
Brian Burridge joined the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
as a University Cadet
Cadet
A cadet is a trainee to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. The term comes from the term "cadet" for younger sons of a noble family.- Military context :...
(as a member of Cambridge University Air Squadron
Cambridge University Air Squadron
Cambridge University Air Squadron, abbreviated CUAS, formed in 1925, is the training unit of the Royal Air Force at the University of Cambridge and forms part of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. It is the oldest of 14 University Air Squadrons in the UK...
) being commissioned into the Royal Air Force on 24 September 1967. He was a pilot with operational background in the Maritime Patrol role, serving on Nos 206
No. 206 Squadron RAF
No. 206 Squadron was a Royal Air Force unit employed, until 2005, in the maritime patrol role with the Nimrod MR.2 at RAF Kinloss, Moray. It was announced in December 2004 that 206 Squadron would disband on 1 April 2005, with half of its crews being redistributed to Nos. 120 and 201 Squadrons, also...
and 120
No. 120 Squadron RAF
No. 120 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operated the Nimrod MR2, based at RAF Kinloss, Moray, Scotland until the type's withdrawal in March 2010.-Formation in WWI:...
Squadrons.
Burridge was promoted to the rank of pilot officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
on 15 July 1970, to flying officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
on 15 January 1971, flight lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
on 13 April 1972 to squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
on 1 July 1979 and to wing commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
on 1 July 1985. In 1986 he attended the Royal Naval Staff College and then later that year went on to command the Nimrod Operational Conversion Unit (OCU). Promoted to group captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
in 1990, he became Officer Commanding RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss
RAF Kinloss is a Royal Air Force station near Kinloss, on the Moray Firth in the north of Scotland. It opened on 1 April 1939 and served as an RAF training establishment during the Second World War. After the war it was handed over to Coastal Command to watch over Russian ships and submarines in...
.
From 1992 he served in the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, initially as Deputy Director of Force Doctrine (RAF) and later becoming the Director of Force Development in the Central Staff before being made Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
in 1994 in the rank of Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
. In 1997 he attended the Cabinet Office Top Management Programme and then later in the year became a Defence Fellow at King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. In 1998 he attended the Higher Command and Staff Course being promoted to Air Vice-Marshal
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
on 1 July 1998. In January 2000 he became Commandant of the Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College
Joint Services Command and Staff College is a British military academic establishment providing training and education to experienced officers of the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force, Ministry of Defence Civil Service, and serving officers of other states.-History:JSCSC combined the single...
, subsequently moving the College into a Public Private Partnership at Shrivenham
Shrivenham
Shrivenham is a large village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England, close to the boundary with Wiltshire. It is in the Vale of White Horse, between Swindon and Faringdon. It was part of Berkshire until the 1974 boundary changes transferred it to Oxfordshire.-Character:Shrivenham features many...
. On 12 February 2002, Burridge was promoted to Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, Strike Command
RAF Strike Command
The Royal Air Force's Strike Command was the military formation which controlled the majority of the United Kingdom's bomber and fighter aircraft from 1968 until 2007: it was merged with Personnel and Training Command to form the single Air Command. It latterly consisted of two formations - No. 1...
,
Burridge served as Air Aide de Camp to Queen Elizabeth II from 31 July 2003, to 17 January 2006. and was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath "for gallant and distinguished services whilst on operations in Iraq during the period 19th March to 19th April 2003" on 31 October 2003. In June 2003, Burridge appeared before the Commons Defence Select Committee
Defence Select Committee
The Defence Select Committee is one of the Select Committees of the British House of Commons, having been established in 1979. It oversees the operations of the Ministry of Defence and its associated public bodies, including the armed forces.-Membership:...
, telling MPs of delays in distributing equipment to troops in Iraq and of his role in vetoing potentially controversial air strikes while he was in command in Iraq.
Burridge retired on 18 January 2006 at the rank of Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
though his commission in the reserve was extended to January 2015.
On 8 December 2009, Burridge gave evidence to The Iraq Inquiry.
Interests
In 2005 Air Marshal Burridge was President of the RAF Mountaineering Association and a trustee of the Windsor Leadership Trust. Burridge sat as chair of the Bentley PrioryBentley Priory
Bentley Priory was a medieval priory or cell of Augustinian Canons in Harrow Weald, then in Middlesex but now in the London Borough of Harrow. There are no remains of the priory, but it probably stood near Priory House, off Clamp Hill....
Battle of Britain Trust and was present at the facility's closing ceremony in 2007. He attained a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in business administration (MBA) from the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
.
External links
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