Air Marshal Clare Samantha Walton, is a senior

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 ...

officer and physician. Since July 2023 she has been Director General of

Defence Medical Services The Defence Medical Services (DMS) is an umbrella organisation within the Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom), Ministry of Defence in the United Kingdom. It consists of the Defence Medical Services Group, part of Strategic Command (United Kingdom ...

RAF career

Walton was commissioned into the Medical Branch of the

(RAF) on 27 March 1987 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 ...

: she was being sponsored through her degree by a University Cadetship with the RAF. She graduated from

St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical School Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, commonly known as Barts or BL, is a medical school, medical and dental school in London, England. The school is part of Queen Mary University of London, a constituent college of the federal Un ...

with Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MB, BS) degrees in 1989. After training at

Royal Air Force College Cranwell The Royal Air Force College (RAFC) is the Royal Air Force military academy which provides initial training to all RAF personnel who are preparing to become commissioned officers. The College also provides initial training to aircrew cadets and ...

, she was promoted to

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 August 1990. She transferred from a short service commission to a permanent commission on 24 April 1992. She has served a number of posting abroad, including with the

United Nations Protection Force The United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR; also known by its French acronym FORPRONU: ''Force de Protection des Nations Unies'') was the first United Nations peacekeeping force in Croatia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the Yugoslav War ...

in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in Kuwait as part of

Operation Desert Fox The 1998 bombing of Iraq (code-named Operation Desert Fox) was a major four-day bombing campaign on Iraqi targets from 16 to 19 December 1998, by the United States and the United Kingdom. On 16 December 1998, President of the United States Bill ...

, and in Iraq as part of

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 ...

. From 2011 to 2014, Walton served as commanding officer of Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Headley Court. She was appointed Air Officer Medical Operations in

No. 38 Group RAF No. 38 Group RAF was a group of the Royal Air Force which disbanded on 31 December 2020. It was formed on 6 November 1943 from the former 38 Wing with nine squadrons as part of Transport Command. It was disbanded on 31 January 1951, but re-for ...

on 13 June 2016. She was then Commander of the Defence Medical Group from 2018 to 2020. From February 2020, she was Director Defence Medical Personnel & Training, based at

Whittington Whittington may refer to: Places * Whittington, Victoria, Australia * Whittington, Illinois, United States England * Old Whittington, Derbyshire * New Whittington, Derbyshire * Whittington Moor, Derbyshire * Whittington, Gloucestershire * Whitti ...

. In October 2022 it was announced that Walton would succeed as Director General of the Defence Medical Services from July 2023. She was promoted to Air Marshal and took up the position on 3 July 2023. She 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

2022 New Year Honours The 2022 New Year Honours are appointments by some of the 15 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 celebration ...

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Royal Air Force air marshals Companions of the Order of the Bath Female air marshals of the Royal Air Force Royal Air Force Medical Service officers 20th-century Royal Air Force personnel 21st-century Royal Air Force personnel {{RAF-bio-stub