Allan Marshall (RAF officer)

Air Marshal Allan Paul Marshall, OBE is a senior Royal Air Force officer, who since March 2024 has been Air and Space Commander.

Allan Marshall
Marshall in 2024
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Years of service	1991–present
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands	No. 1 Group RAF RAF Waddington No. V (AC) Squadron
Battles / wars	Iraq War War in Afghanistan
Awards	Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Spouse(s)	Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall

Early life and education

Marshall studied engineering at Pembroke College, Cambridge,^[1] graduating from the University of Cambridge with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree.^[2]

RAF career

Marshall was commissioned into the Royal Air Force (RAF) on 2 September 1991 with the rank of acting pilot officer.^[3] Having completed an in-service degree, he was re-graded as a pilot officer on 15 July 1994.^[2][4] He was promoted to flying officer on 15 January 1995 with seniority in that rank from 15 July 1992.^[5] His early career consisted of flying the Harrier jump jet.^[4]

He served as officer commanding No. V (AC) Squadron.^[1] He went on to become station commander at RAF Waddington in March 2016,^[6][7] and Head of Military Operations in the Ministry of Defence in December 2018.^[8]

In February 2020 it was announced that he would be appointed to the post of Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group with effect from March 2020.^[9] On 22 November 2021, Marshall took up the post of Assistant Chief of Defence Staff (Operations & Commitments) in succession to Major General Charles Stickland.^[10] On 8 March 2024, he was promoted to air marshal and appointed as Air and Space Commander in succession to Harv Smyth.^[11][12]

Marshall was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2014 New Year Honours.^[13]

Personal life

Marshall is married to Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall, and together they have two children.^[14]