{{Short description|Royal Air Force officer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox military person |name= Maria Byford |image= AVM Maria Byford.jpg |image_size= |alt= |caption= |nickname= |birth_date= |birth_place= |death_date= |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= Royal Air Force |service_years= 1991–2023 |rank= Air Vice Marshal |unit= |commands= RAF Medical Services<br />Medical Joint Force Support |battles= War in Afghanistan |awards= |relations= |other_work= }} Air Vice-Marshal '''Maria Byford''', {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|KHDS}} is a senior retired Royal Air Force officer who served as Chief of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary from February 2020 to July 2023.
==RAF career== Byford studied dentistry at King's College London, graduating with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) degree in 1991.<ref name="CoSP/AS">{{cite web |title=Chief of Staff Personnel and Air Secretary: Air Vice-Marshal Maria Byford QHDS |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/senior-commanders/chief-of-staff-personnel-and-air-secretary/ |website=Royal Air Force |access-date=2 June 2022 |language=en-gb}}</ref> That year, she joined the Royal Air Force (RAF).<ref name=idga>Speakers: Air Commodore Maria Byford, Institute of Defence and Government Affairs</ref> After a career in dentistry, she became Head of the Personnel Division at HQ Surgeon-General in 2011.<ref name=idga/> Following deployment as commander of Medical Joint Force Support in Afghanistan in 2014, she became Head of Future Healthcare at HQ Surgeon-General in 2015 and Head of RAF Medical Services in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cambridgeraes.info/category/lecture/|title=Sir Arthur Marshall Lecture|publisher=Cambridgeshire Aeronautical Society|accessdate=12 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://issuu.com/rafnews/docs/raf_news_12_july_2019|title=Double first for Air Commodore Byford|date=12 July 2009|page=12|publisher=RAF News|accessdate=12 February 2020}}</ref> She was appointed Honorary Dental Surgeon to the Queen (QHDS) in 2015.<ref name=idga/>
In February 2020 Byford was appointed Air Secretary with effect from 24 February 2020.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/senior-appointments/ |title=Senior Appointments 10 February 2020 |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=10 February 2020 |website=raf.mod.uk |publisher=Royal Air Force |access-date=12 February 2020}}</ref> She was involved in a RAF recruitment campaign to promote racial and gender diversity in the service, which Sky News alleged discriminated against white men.<ref>{{Cite web |title=White men who failed to join RAF furious after no one is sanctioned over botched diversity drive |url=https://news.sky.com/story/fury-at-lack-of-sanction-for-raf-over-botched-diversity-drive-as-soldiers-face-10-000-fine-for-getting-drunk-12934256 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Sky News |language=en}}</ref> She retired from the RAF in July 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/senior-appointments/|title=Senior appointments|publisher=Royal Air Force|access-date=6 August 2023}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Christina Elliot}} {{s-ttl|title=Air Secretary|years=2020–2023}} {{s-aft|after=Simon Edwards}} {{s-end}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byford, Maria}} Category:Living people Category:Royal Air Force air vice-marshals Category:Female air marshals of the Royal Air Force Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century British dentists Category:Alumni of King's College London Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Royal Air Force Medical Service officers