Sir Richard Johns | |
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Sir Richard Johns, the Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle, leading the procession to the Garter service in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle
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Born |
Horsham, West Sussex |
28 July 1939
Allegiance | United Kingdom |
Service/branch | Royal Air Force |
Years of service | 1959–2000 |
Rank | Air Chief Marshal |
Commands held |
Chief of the Air Staff (1997–00) Allied Forces North West Europe (1994–97) Strike Command (1994) No. 1 Group (1991–93) RAF Gütersloh (1982–84) No. 3 (F) Squadron (1975–78) |
Battles/wars | Gulf War |
Awards |
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order Commander of the Order of the British Empire |
Other work | Constable and Governor of Windsor Castle |
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Edward Johns, GCB, KCVO, CBE (born 28 July 1939) is a retired senior Royal Air Force commander. He was a fighter pilot in the 1960s, a squadron commander during the 1970s and a station commander in the 1980s. Johns served as one of three British directors of operations on the senior planning staff for Operation Granby (the British contribution to the Gulf War) in 1991 and then acted as a supporting commander for joint operations in the Balkans in 1994. As Chief of the Air Staff he advised the British Government on the air force aspects of the Strategic Defence Review and on NATO's air campaign in Kosovo.
The son of Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Edward Johns and Marjory Harley Johns (née Everett), Johns was educated at Portsmouth Grammar School and RAF College Cranwell, and commissioned into the Royal Air Force on 15 December 1959. After completing flying training on Piston Provost and Meteor aircraft, Johns spent his early career as a fighter pilot serving in the UK, in Cyprus and in Aden. He was promoted to flying officer on 15 December 1960,flight lieutenant on 15 August 1962 and to squadron leader on 1 January 1969.