Air Marshal Sir Stuart David Atha, (born 30 April 1962) is a former senior officer of the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

. He led No. 3 (Fighter) Squadron from 2000 to 2004, which included deployment to Iraq on

Operation Telic Operation Telic (Op TELIC) was the codename under which all of the United Kingdom's 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 ...

, commanded

RAF Coningsby Royal Air Force Coningsby or RAF Coningsby , is a Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south-west of Horncastle, and north-west of Boston, in the East Lindsey district of Lincolnshire, England. It is a Main Operating Base of the RAF and ho ...

(2006–08),

No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group is a group within the Royal Air Force, currently based at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. Originally formed in 1943, during the Second World War it formed part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force (2TAF) and was known as No ...

(2009–10) and No. 1 Group (2011–14), and served as the Air Component Commander for security during the

2012 London Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

. Atha was

Deputy Commander Operations Deputy Commander Operations is the senior Royal Air Force officer responsible for the conduct of air operations at home and overseas. The current Deputy Commander Operations is Air Marshal Harvey Smyth who has been serving in the position since ...

from 2016 to 2019.

Early life and education

Atha was born on 30 April 1962 in

Irvine, North Ayrshire Irvine ( ; sco, Irvin,
gd, Irbhinn, IPA: He was educated at

Kilmarnock Academy Kilmarnock Academy (Scottish Gaelic: ''Acadamaidh Chille Mheàrnaig''), formerly Kilmarnock Burgh School, is a state-funded secondary school in Kilmarnock, Scotland, currently located on Sutherland Drive in the New Farm Loch area of the town. The ...

, a

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * '' Our ...

secondary school in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire. He studied physics and maths at

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

, graduating with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

(BSc) degree in 1984. While at university, he was a member of the

Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde Air Squadron A Royal Air Force University Air Squadron recruiting within Scotland, Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde Air Squadron (commonly known as UGSAS) draws its members from six higher education establishments within Glasgow and its surrounding area ...

Military career

Atha was commissioned in the

as a

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countrie ...

on 14 October 1984, promoted to flying officer on 14 April 1985 (with seniority from 14 October 1982),

flight lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the Indi ...

on 14 April 1986, and

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is als ...

on 1 July 1995. Following a tour as the Harrier tactics specialist at the

Air Warfare Centre The Air and Space Warfare Centre (ASWC) is a Royal Air Force research and testing organisation based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire. It has a training branch nearby as a lodger unit of RAF Cranwell and other branches elsewhere, including a ...

, Atha attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course at Bracknell (1999–2000), and was promoted to

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historic ...

on 1 July 1999. He then assumed command of No 3 (Fighter) Squadron, again flying the Harrier GR7. Following his command tour, Atha joined the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

Directorate of Operational Capability for a short spell before becoming the Personal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal

Sir Jock Stirrup Marshal of the Royal Air Force Graham Eric Stirrup, Baron Stirrup, (born 4 December 1949), informally known as Jock Stirrup, is a former senior Royal Air Force commander who was the Chief of the Defence Staff from 2006 until his retirement in ...

. He was promoted to group captain on 1 January 2005. In early 2006, he attended the Higher Command and Staff Course. Atha was station commander of

from 1 December 2006 to 15 December 2008. Atha is a veteran of the conflicts in both the Balkans and Gulf with combat missions flown in

Operation Deliberate Force Operation Deliberate Force was a sustained air campaign conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in concert with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) ground operations, to undermine the military capability of the ...

(Bosnia 1995),

Operation Allied Force The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) carried out an aerial bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. The air strikes lasted from 24 March 1999 to 10 June 1999. The bombings continued until an a ...

(Kosovo 1999) and

(Iraq 2003). On 31 October 2003, he was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typi ...

for his leadership in Iraq. He was appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Queen on 12 February 2007. He served in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bord ...

in support of

Operation Herrick Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security A ...

from October 2009 to March 2010, for which he was awarded a

Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service The King's Commendation for Valuable Service is a British military award for meritorious service in an operational theatre. It was established in 1994, when the award of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct and the Queen's Commendation fo ...

. Atha's tour in the Middle East was followed in April 2010 with an appointment as Head of Joint Capability at the

. He was promoted to

air vice marshal Air vice-marshal (AVM) 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 u ...

and appointed Air Officer Commanding No.1 Group RAF on 12 August 2011. Atha served as the Air Component Commander for the London Olympics Air Security in 2012. He was appointed Chief of Staff (Operations) at the

Permanent Joint Headquarters The Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) is the British tri-service headquarters from where all overseas military operations are planned and controlled. It is situated at Northwood Headquarters in Northwood, London. The Permanent Joint Headquart ...

in 2014; he handed over to Air Vice Marshal Gary Waterfall on 16 May 2016. He was promoted to air marshal on 27 May 2016. In June 2016, he became Deputy Commander Operations at

RAF Air Command Air Command is the only Command currently active in the Royal Air Force. It was formed by the merger of Royal Air Force Strike and Personnel and Training commands on 1 April 2007, and has its headquarters at RAF High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. ...

in succession to Air Marshal

Greg Bagwell Air Marshal Gregory Jack Bagwell, (born 6 October 1961) is a retired senior Royal Air Force (RAF) commander who served as Deputy Commander (Operations) at RAF Air Command. RAF career Entering the RAF as an aircraftman, Bagwell was commissioned ...

. Atha was succeeded by Air Marshal

Gerry Mayhew Air Marshal Sir Gerard Michael David Mayhew, (born 15 February 1969) is a senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Deputy Commander Operations, Headquarters Air Command between May 2019 and August 2022. Early life and education Mayhew w ...

as Deputy Commander Operations on 3 May 2019 and retired from active service on 14 October 2019. Atha was appointed

Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a care ...

(CB) in the

2015 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 2015 were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by citizens of those countries. The New Year Honours are awarded as part of the New Year celebrati ...

and

Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(KBE) in the

2019 Birthday Honours The 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as ...

Personal life

In 1989, Atha married Caroline Dick.Profile
dailyrecord.co.uk. Accessed 14 March 2023. Together they have five children: four daughters and one son.

Legacy

A street was named for Atha in Kilmarnock, Atha Wynd.

References

, - , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Atha, Stuart 1962 births Living people Alumni of King's College London Alumni of the University of Glasgow Companions of the Order of the Bath Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Recipients of the Commendation for Valuable Service Royal Air Force air marshals Royal Air Force personnel of the Iraq War People from Irvine, North Ayrshire People educated at Kilmarnock Academy Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire