Air Vice-Marshal Chris Moran. Photo Crown Copyright.

Air Vice-Marshal Chris Moran OBE MVO MA BSc RAF is the current Assistant Chief of the Air Staff. An Air Vice Marshals sleeve/shoulder insignia Air Vice Marshal is the third most senior rank active in the Royal Air Force today, after the inactivation of Marshal of the Royal Air Force as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts of the 1990s. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in duration. ... The Royal Air Force (often abbreviated to RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (ACAS) is the Deputy to the Chief of the Air Staff in the Royal Air Force. ...

Air Vice-Marshal Chris Moran joined the RAF as a University Cadet, subsequently gaining an honours degree in Mechanical Engineering at UMIST. Following training, he was posted to the Harrier aircraft and served on IV(AC) Squadron, as a Qualified Weapons Instructor and Flight Commander. He also served in Belize, the Falkland Islands and embarked in HMS Illustrious during this tour. In 1985 he was posted on exchange flying duties with the United States Marine Corps at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. UMIST Main Building on Whitworth Street The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England (, ). It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for research. ... There have been five ships in the Royal Navy to bear the proud name Illustrious, and as her name suggests, she and her predecessors have had an illustrious history. ... Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point is a United States airfield near New Bern, North Carolina, in the eastern part of the state. ...

He returned as a squadron commander on the Harrier Operational Conversion Unit at RAF Wittering. Following Advanced Staff College in 1991, he completed a short tour of duty in the Ministry of Defence before serving as Equerry to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh. In 1994 he took command of IV(AC) Squadron, based in Germany. He flew during Op WARDEN and commanded the Squadron during Op DELIBERATE FORCE. Promoted to Group Captain in 1996, he served as a staff officer at HQ 1 Group before taking command of RAF Wittering in 1997. During this time in command, Wittering based aircraft flew on Op BOLTON and operated as a joint force aboard HMS Invincible. RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station near Stamford, Lincolnshire. ... The Master of the Horse was (and in some cases, is) a historical position of varying importance in several European nations. ... HRH The Duke of Edinburgh His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (Philip Mountbatten), styled HRH The Duke of Edinburgh (born June 10, 1921), is the consort of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. ... A Group Captains sleeve/shoulder insignia A Group Captains command flag Group Captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. ... RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station near Stamford, Lincolnshire. ... Six ships of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Invincible. ...

In 1999, after attending the Higher Command and Staff Course, he was posted as a Divisional Director at the Joint Services Command and Staff College, where he completed an MA in Defence Studies. Promoted to Air Commodore, he moved to the Ministry of Defence, London, as Director of the Air Staff until October 2002. An Air Commodoress sleeve/shoulder insignia Air Commodore is the fourth most senior rank active in the Royal Air Force today, after the deactivation of Marshal of the Royal Air Force as a substantive rank in peacetime during defence cuts of the 1990s. ...

He then took up his next appointment as the Chief of the Defence Staff’s Liaison Officer to the Joint Staff in the Pentagon in November 2002. During his time in Washington he was involved in the planning and execution of Op TELIC/IRAQI FREEDOM at the political/military level. Air Vice-Marshal Moran was appointed Air Officer Commanding Number 1 Group in July 2003. As such, he had responsibility for all of the RAF’s and RN’s fast jet forces during a period of sustained operations and significant change. He was appointed Assistant Chief of the Air Staff on 22 April 2005. In geometry, a pentagon is any five-sided polygon. ... Air Officer Commanding (AOC) is the usual title given in the air forces of Commonwealth (and some other) nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. ... Number 1 Group of the Royal Air Force is one of the three groups in RAF Strike Command. ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...