You guys, esp Chugalug2, amaze me. Check the guy's CV.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy was born in 1953 and joined the Royal Air Force in 1974 after studying Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London. He has completed two tours flying the Jaguar in the reconnaissance role, a tour as a Qualified Weapons Instructor on the Hawk, and commanded a Tornado GR1A tactical reconnaissance squadron. He saw active service with No 13 Squadron during the Gulf War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in the Gulf Honours List. He graduated from the Royal Air Force Staff College in 1987, and subsequently filled a staff appointment in the Ministry of Defence before moving to be Personal Staff Officer to the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Strike Command. He was Station Commander Royal Air Force Bruggen in Germany, which at the time was the largest Tornado base in the Royal Air Force, before graduating from the Royal College of Defence Studies in December 1997 and subsequently completing the Higher Command and Staff Course in April 1998.
Air Chief Marshal Torpy was Assistant Chief of Staff J3 (Operations) in the Permanent Joint Headquarters during Operation DESERT FOX in Iraq and Operation ALLIED FORCE, the NATO intervention operation in Kosovo, for which he was made a Commander of the British Empire. He subsequently spent a short time as Director of Air Operations in the Ministry of Defence before taking over as Assistant Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations). He became Air Officer Commanding No 1 Group in March 2001.
During his time at No 1 Group he commanded the British Forces participating in Exercise SAIF SAREEA II and in 2003 was the UK Air Contingent Commander for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, for which he was awarded the US Legion of Merit for his part in the Coalition operation. He was Deputy Commander-in-Chief Strike Command for one year from July 2003 before being appointed Chief of Joint Operations at the Permanent Joint Headquarters on 26 July 2004. He was made a Knight Commander of the Bath in January 2005. Air Chief Marshal Torpy became Chief of the Air Staff on 13 April 2006. During his flying career Sir Glenn has amassed some 4300 hours of fast-jet flying.
When I was in the RAF (yawn), I had to deliver a jet to TLP at Jever and the then Flt Lt Torpy was a member of the Jag element of that particular course. The guy in charge of our AD part of the program said he'd never seen a sharper pilot in his life. I met him a couple of times over the years and he certainly seemed pretty sharp to me.
Having looked at his CV, would you want some "blunty" as CAS or someone who blatantly has the ability to do the job, lead from the front, and from where I now sit in "Civvie Street", handle the politicians and the press pretty damn well? He's about the only head of the RAF in the last 50 years that deserves to be where he is!
I read the posts on this forum with a mixture of anger and incredulity. He's the Chief of the f£$%^&* Air Staff for Christ's sake. If he can't go and fly the latest jet then who the f£$% can? It IS HIS train set; he doesn't need to answer to 60 million tax payers, the same way I didn't need to answer to them when I led 4-ships at low level having a bit of fun down the A5 Pass in Wales or around the Highlands of Scotland.
The attitude of people in this country makes me weep. The "Fun Police" have definitely taken over. The "Jobsworth" attitude has permeated every level to the point that unless every useless prat can do it then you can't. Yet at the same time, people are quite happy to watch so called "celebrities" pi$$ money away and do outrageous things without any comment. Perks of "rank" and "position" are dirty words because the person that cleans the toilets might be offended.
Good on the CAS I say. And I hope he keeps going back to stay current!
If you don't like it, resign.
Last edited by BusterHot; 15th December 2006 at 22:39.