{{Short description|Royal Air Force Air Vice-Marshal (born 1967)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Use British English|date=March 2017}} {{Infobox military person |name=Gary Waterfall |image= VMFAT-501 Marine Corps Air Station F-35 Command Visit 141028-M-XK446-191 (cropped; Gary Waterfall).jpg |image_size= |alt= |caption= Waterfall in 2014 |birth_date= {{birth date and age|1967|01|07|df=y}} |death_date= |birth_place= |death_place= |burial_place= |nickname= |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= Royal Air Force |service_years= |rank= Air Vice Marshal |service_number= |unit= |commands= No. 1 Group (2014–16)<br />RAF Cottesmore (2009–11)<br />No. 41 Squadron RAF (2006–07) |battles= Operation Ellamy |awards= Commander of the Order of the British Empire |relations= |other_work= }} Air Vice Marshal '''Gary Martin Waterfall''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} (born 7 January 1967) is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer and formerly Chief of Staff (Operations) in the Permanent Joint Headquarters. He has also been squadron representative of 2248 (Rutland) Sqn Air Training Corps since the first of September 2009. From July 2014 to April 2016, he was Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group.
==RAF career== Waterfall was previously a Harrier pilot and a member of the Red Arrows display team.<ref name="Who's Who 2015">{{cite web|title=WATERFALL, Air Vice-Marshal Gary Martin|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U279562|website=Who's Who 2015|publisher=A & C Black|access-date=7 January 2015|date=October 2014}}</ref> He was Officer Commanding No. 41 Squadron RAF from 1 April 2006 to 8 June 2007.
On 15 December 2010, Waterfall led the final 16-ship flypast of the Harrier when they were retired from service. On promotion to air commodore in June 2011, he was deployed to NATO's Combined Air Operations Centre 5 to assume command of the UK air contribution to the liberation of Libya, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Operational Honours List in March 2012.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former RAF Cottesmore station commander awarded CBE|url=http://www.rutland-times.co.uk/news/local/former-raf-cottesmore-station-commander-awarded-cbe-1-3662245|access-date=19 July 2012|work=Rutland Times|date=23 March 2012}}</ref>
From July 2014 to April 2016, he was Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group. In that role, he is also head of the air defence of the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dearden|first1=Lizzie|title=RAF Typhoons scrambled to intercept Russian bomber 'approaching the UK'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/raf-typhoons-scrambled-to-intercept-russian-bomber-approaching-the-uk-9833231.html|access-date=7 January 2015|newspaper=The Independent|date=1 November 2014}}</ref> On 28 April 2016, Waterfall handed over the command of No. 1 Group to Gerry Mayhew.<ref>{{cite web|title=Senior Appointments|url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/senior-appointments.cfm|website=Raf.mod.uk|access-date=29 April 2016|date=20 April 2016}}</ref> Waterfall was then appointed the Chief of Staff (Operations) in the Permanent Joint Headquarters with effect from 16 May 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/|title=Royal Air Force|website=Raf.mod.uk|access-date=23 November 2021}}</ref> Waterfall retired from the RAF on 31 December 2019.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=62909 |date=4 February 2019 |page=1959 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Gary Waterfall}}
{{S-start}} {{S-mil}} {{S-bef|before=Stuart Atha}} {{S-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding No. 1 Group|years=2014–2016}} {{s-aft|after=Gerry Mayhew}} {{S-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waterfall, Gary}} Category:1967 births Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Living people Category:Royal Air Force air vice-marshals