{{Short description|Royal Air Force air marshal (born 1962)}} {{use British English|date=August 2017}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Air Chief Marshal |name = Sir Stephen Hillier |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GCB|CBE|DFC}} |image= Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier (cropped).jpg |image_size= |alt= |caption= Hillier in 2019 |nickname= |birth_date= {{birth year and age|1962}}<ref name="people">{{cite web |title=Statutory registers - Births |url= https://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/record-results?search_type=People&surname=%20Hillier&forename=Stephen&forename_so=exact&from_year=&to_year=&surname_so=exact&record_type=stat_births |website=Scotland's People |publisher=National Records of Scotland and the Court of the Lord Lyon }}</ref> |birth_place= Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland<ref name="people"/> |death_date= |death_place= |burial_place= |allegiance= United Kingdom |branch= Royal Air Force |service_years= 1980–2019 |rank= Air Chief Marshal |service_number= |unit= |commands= Chief of the Air Staff<br/>No. 2 Group<br/>RAF Lossiemouth<br/>II (AC) Squadron |battles= Gulf War<br/>Iraq War |awards= Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath<br/>Commander of the Order of the British Empire<br/>Distinguished Flying Cross<br/>Bronze Star Medal (United States) |relations= |other_work= }} Air Chief Marshal '''Sir Stephen John Hillier''', {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|sep=,|GCB|CBE|DFC}} (born 1962) is a retired senior Royal Air Force officer, who served as Chief of the Air Staff from 2016 to 2019. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions in the Gulf in 1999 and was awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal for service in the Iraq War. He went on to be Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group, Director Information Superiority at the Ministry of Defence, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability) and finally Chief of the Air Staff from July 2016. He was appointed chair of the Civil Aviation Authority in 2020.
==Early life and education== Hillier was born in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland, the son of Victor and Ann Hillier, and grew up in nearby Bellfield. During the Second World War, his father was an aircraftman in the Royal Air Force, and was a wireless operator in a mobile signals unit in Burma and India. He was educated at Kilmarnock Academy and as a youth earned a private pilot's licence through the Air Training Corps flying scholarship scheme.<ref name="herald">{{cite news |title=Scots-born RAF chief who was inspired by his father's World War II<!-- "World War 11" in original --> campaign |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/16130752.scots-born-raf-chief-who-was-inspired-by-his-fathers-world-war-11-campaign/ |accessdate=14 May 2019 |work=The Herald|location=Glasgow |date=31 March 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Russell |first1=Ian |title=Former Kilmarnock Academy pupil is set to be appointed RAF's top man |url=https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/former-kilmarnock-academy-pupil-set-7707633 |accessdate=14 May 2019 |work=The Daily Record |date=7 April 2016}}</ref>
During his military career, he studied social sciences with the Open University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1998.<ref name="bio Birmingham" /> He undertook a Master of Arts (MA) degree in defence studies at King's College London, graduating in 1999.<ref name="bio Birmingham" />
==RAF career== Hillier was commissioned as an acting pilot officer on 6 November 1980,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=48460|supp=y|page=17812|date=22 December 1980}}</ref> and regraded to pilot officer (after Initial Officer Training) on 6 November 1981.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=48796|supp=y|page=14595|date=16 November 1981}}</ref> He was promoted to flying officer on 6 November 1982.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=49188|supp=y|page=15998|date=7 December 1982}}</ref> He was a pilot, flying the Tornado, and served in the 1991 Gulf War.<ref name=ATA_Event>{{cite web|url=http://www.atamuseum.org/events.html |title=ATA Museum Events page (includes photo) |publisher=Air Transport Auxiliary Museum |accessdate=11 July 2012 |url-status=unfit |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110162614/http://www.atamuseum.org/events.html |archivedate=10 November 2012 }}</ref> He was promoted to squadron leader on 1 July 1991<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=52591|supp=y|pages=10091–10092|date=1 July 1991}}</ref> and wing commander on 1 July 1996,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=54453|page=8919|date=1 July 1996}}</ref> and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions commanding II (AC) Squadron in the Gulf during Operation Southern Watch on 29 October 1999.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55651|supp=y|page=11558|date=29 October 1999}}</ref>
Promoted to group captain on 1 July 2000,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=55901|supp=y|page=7250|date=4 July 2000}}</ref> Hillier became station commander at RAF Lossiemouth.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/politics/820248/former-lossiemouth-commander-appointed-to-top-post/|title=Former Lossiemouth commander appointed to top post|publisher=Press and Journal|date=31 January 2016|accessdate=31 January 2016}}</ref> He then served in the Iraq War,<ref name=ATA_Event /> where he commanded the Tornado Detachment with aircraft supplied from No. 2, 12 and 617 Squadrons.<ref>{{cite journal|editor1-last=Wise|editor1-first=Andrew|title=Crews are all heroes|journal=RAF News|date=18 April 2003|issue=1,071|page=11|publisher=RAF|location=Innsworth|issn=0035-8614}}</ref> For this, he was awarded the US Bronze Star Medal on 31 October 2003.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57100|supp=y|page=12|date=31 October 2003}}</ref> He was also appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2005 New Year Honours,<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57509|supp=y|pages=4–6|date=31 December 2004}}</ref> just prior to his promotion to air commodore on 1 January 2005 of that year.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=57553|supp=y|page=1518|date=8 February 2005}}</ref>
Hillier served as Head of Theatre Airspace Capability in the Ministry of Defence prior to his promotion to air vice marshal and appointment as Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group in September 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/E57D7C91_1143_EC82_2EF22AC09F8B7A7B.doc |title=Air Rank Appointments List 03/08 |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=11 July 2012}}</ref> In October 2010 he returned to the Ministry of Defence as Director Information Superiority<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/1796DE51_5056_A318_A84060B07945066F.doc |title=Air Rank Appointments List 03/10 |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=11 July 2012}}</ref> and in June 2012 he was promoted to air marshal and appointed Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafcms/mediafiles/F0E763D0_5056_A318_A891278D1D13AB0D.doc |title=Air Rank Appointments List 03/11 |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=11 July 2012}}</ref> He managed the UK's Carrier Enabled Power Projection Programme, encompassing the aircraft carrier, F35B Lightning II and Merlin Helicopter programmes. Hillier became Air Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Queen Elizabeth II and succeeded Air Chief Marshal Sir Andrew Pulford as Chief of the Air Staff on 12 July 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/the-secretary-of-state-announces-new-senior-appointments-in-the-armed-services|title=The Secretary of State announces new Senior Appointments in the Armed Services|publisher=Ministry of Defence|accessdate=29 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/chief-of-the-air-staff.cfm |title=Sir Stephen Hillier |publisher=Royal Air Force |accessdate=12 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603112902/http://www.raf.mod.uk/organisation/chief-of-the-air-staff.cfm |archivedate=3 June 2016 }}</ref><ref name=":0" />
Hillier was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2014 New Year Honours,<ref name=":0">{{London Gazette| issue = 61656| date = 26 July 2016| page = 16088| supp = y}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/268848/New_Year_Honours_2014_military_division_list.pdf |title=New Year Honours 2014 Military Division|publisher=UK Government|accessdate=29 January 2016}}</ref> and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB) in the 2020 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63135|page=B2|date=10 October 2020|supp=y}}</ref>
==Later life== Hillier has been a trustee of Veterans Aid since October 2019.<ref>{{cite web |title=Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier appointed as Trustee |url=https://veterans-aid.net/air-chief-marshal-sir-stephen-hillier-appointed-as-trustee/ |website=Veterans Aid |accessdate=27 June 2020 |date=31 October 2019}}</ref> In June 2020, he was nominated to be chair of the Civil Aviation Authority.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.adsadvance.co.uk/sir-stephen-hillier-to-be-chair-of-the-caa.html|title=Sir Stephen Hillier to be chair of the CAA|publisher=ADS Advance|date=7 May 2020|accessdate=27 June 2020}}</ref> He took up the appointment on 1 August 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=CAA board and staff |url=https://www.caa.co.uk/Our-work/About-us/CAA-board-and-staff/ |website=UK Civil Aviation Authority |accessdate=10 October 2020}}</ref> Since 2021, he has also been an honorary professor in the University of Birmingham's School of Government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Head of the Royal Air Force joins School of Government as Honorary Professor |url=https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2021/former-head-of-the-royal-air-force-joins-school-of-government-as-honorary-professor |website=University of Birmingham |access-date=24 February 2024 |language=en |date=5 August 2021}}</ref><ref name="bio Birmingham">{{cite web |title=Sir Stephen Hillier GCB CBE DFC MA |url=https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/gov/hillier-stephen |website=University of Birmingham |access-date=24 February 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== In 1984, Hillier married Elaine Margaret Burns in Kilmarnock. They have two children.<ref name="herald"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Andrew Pulford}} {{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group|years=2008–2010}} {{s-aft|after=Philip Osborn}} |- {{s-bef|before=Paul Lambert}} {{s-ttl|title=Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Capability)|years=2012–2016}} {{s-aft|after=Mark Poffley}} |- {{s-bef|before=Sir Andrew Pulford}} {{s-ttl|title=Chief of the Air Staff|years=2016–2019}} {{s-aft|after=Michael Wigston}} {{s-end}}
{{Chief of the Air Staff}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hillier, Stephen}} Category:1962 births Category:Military personnel from East Ayrshire Category:Living people Category:Chiefs of the Air Staff (United Kingdom) Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:People from Kilmarnock Category:People educated at Kilmarnock Academy Category:Scottish airmen Category:Royal Air Force air chief marshals Category:Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Gulf War Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Iraq War Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel Category:21st-century Royal Air Force personnel Category:Alumni of the Open University Category:Alumni of King's College London