{{Short description|British Royal Air Force officer (born 1973)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = Air Marshal |name = Suraya Marshall |honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100|CBE}} |image = AVM Suraya Marshall (cropped 2).jpg |image_sie = |alt = |caption = Marshall in 2024 |birth_name = |nickname = |birth_date = {{birth year and age|1973}} |birth_place = |death_date = |death_place = |burial_place = |allegiance = United Kingdom |branch = Royal Air Force |service_years = 1994–present |rank = Air Marshal |service_number = |unit = |commands = No. 2 Group RAF<br/>Royal Air Force College Cranwell<br/>No. 55 Squadron RAF<br/>No. 92 Squadron RAF |battles = Iraq War<br/>War in Afghanistan |awards = Commander of the Order of the British Empire |alma_mater = University of Nottingham |spouse = Air Marshal Allan Marshall |relations = |other_work = }} Air Marshal '''Suraya Antonia Marshall''', {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100|CBE}} (born 1973) is a senior Royal Air Force officer. She served as Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group RAF from October 2021 to March 2024, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff from June 2024 to November 2025, and was appointed Deputy Commander Cyber & Specialist Operations Command in November 2025.
==Early life and education== Marshall born in 1973 in York, Yorkshire, England.<ref name="WW 23" /> She was educated at Queen Margaret's School, York, a private school.<ref name="WW 23">{{cite web |title=Marshall, Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Antonia, (born 20 June 1973), Air Officer Commanding No 2 Group, since 2021 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U296435 |website=Who's Who 2023 |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=18 December 2022 |language=en |date=1 December 2022}}</ref> She then studied law at University of Nottingham, graduating with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree in 1994.<ref name="WW 23" /> While at university, she was a member of the East Midlands University Air Squadron.<ref name="bio ACAS" />
==Military career== Marshall joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a navigator,<ref name="bio RAFA">{{cite web |title=Our ambassadors |url=https://rafa.org.uk/about/ambassadors/ |website=rafa.org.uk |access-date=11 April 2021}}</ref> and was commissioned with the rank of pilot officer on 9 October 1994.<ref name="LG 30 January 1995">{{London Gazette |issue= 53940 |date= 30 January 1995 |page= 1371 |supp= y }}</ref> She completed an MA from King's College London in 2000. She flew in the Tornado F3, and in 2000 became the first woman to pass the Qualified Weapons Instructor Course for the Tornado F3.<ref name="Operational" /> She served as Officer Commanding of No. 92 Squadron RAF and No. 55 Squadron RAF.<ref name="bio RAFA" /><ref name="Operational" /> She was Director of Coalition Air Operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan during 2019.<ref name="Operational">{{cite web |title=RAF appoints first woman to command an 'Operational' Air Group |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/raf-appoints-first-woman-to-command-an-operational-air-group/ |website=Royal Air Force |access-date=15 August 2021 |language=en-gb |date=12 August 2021}}</ref>
In November 2019, Marshall was appointed Commandant of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell, the RAF's aircrew and officer training academy, holding the rank of air commodore.<ref>{{cite web|date=18 March 2021|title=Senior Appointments: 20 February 2019 |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/senior-appointments/|access-date=11 April 2021|website=Royal Air Force|language=en-gb}}</ref> On 6 October 2021 she was promoted to air vice-marshal and appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group: she is the first woman to command one of the RAF's two operational groups.<ref name="Operational" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Senior Appointments: 12 August 2021 |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/senior-appointments/ |website=Royal Air Force |access-date=15 August 2021 |language=en-gb |date=12 August 2021}}</ref> As of November 2021, she is the highest ranking BAME person in the British military.<ref>{{cite web |title=RAF reflects on Black History Month and supporting events |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/articles/raf-reflects-on-black-history-month-and-supporting-events/ |website=Royal Air Force |access-date=2 November 2021 |language=en-gb |date=1 November 2021}}</ref> She was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2022 Birthday Honours.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=63714|supp=y|page=B8|date=1 June 2022}}</ref>
In May 2024, Marshall was announced as the next Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, in succession to Air Vice-Marshal Tim Jones.<ref name="SA May 24">{{cite web|date=5 June 2024|title=Senior Appointments: 31 May 2024 |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/senior-appointments/|access-date=11 April 2021|website=Royal Air Force}}</ref> She took up the appointment in June 2024.<ref name="SA May 24" /><ref name="bio ACAS">{{cite web |title=Assistant Chief of the Air Staff: Air Vice-Marshal Suraya Marshall CBE MA LLB RAF |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/senior-commanders/assistant-chief-of-the-air-staff/ |website=raf.mod.uk |publisher=Royal Air Force |access-date=24 June 2024}}</ref>
Marshall was promoted to air marshal and appointed Deputy Commander Cyber & Specialist Operations Command on 28 November 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/news/senior-appointments/|title=Senior Appointments|publisher=Royal Air Force|access-date=30 August 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Air Marshal Suraya Marshall CBE|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/suraya-marshall|work=Cyber & Specialist Operations Command|publisher=Government of the United Kingdom|access-date=12 December 2025}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=64924|date=9 December 2025|page=23510|supp=y}}</ref>
==Personal life== Marshall is married to Air Marshal Allan Marshall, and together they have two children.<ref>{{cite web |title=No 2 Group: Air Officer Commanding |url=https://www.raf.mod.uk/our-organisation/groups/no-2-group/ |website=Royal Air Force |access-date=16 November 2021 |language=en-gb}}</ref>
==See also== *List of senior female officers of the British Armed Forces
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-mil}} {{s-bef|before=Peter J. M. Squires}} {{s-ttl|title=Commandant of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell|years=2019–2021}} {{s-aft|after=Andrew Dickens}} |- {{s-bef|before=Alan Gillespie}} {{s-ttl|title=Air Officer Commanding No. 2 Group RAF|years=2021–2024}} {{s-aft|after=Jason Appleton}} |- {{s-bef|before=Tim Jones}} {{s-ttl|title=Assistant Chief of the Air Staff|years=2024–2025}} {{s-aft|after=Ian Townsend}} |- {{s-bef|before=Sir Tom Copinger-Symes}} {{s-ttl|title=Deputy Commander Cyber & Specialist Operations Command|years=2025–present}} {{s-inc}} {{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Marshall, Suraya}} Category:1973 births Category:20th-century Royal Air Force personnel Category:21st-century Royal Air Force personnel Category:Alumni of King's College London Category:Alumni of the University of Nottingham Category:British flight instructors Category:Flight navigators Category:British women aviators Category:Commandants of the Royal Air Force College Cranwell Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Female air marshals of the Royal Air Force Category:Living people Category:People educated at Queen Margaret's School, York Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the Iraq War Category:Royal Air Force personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) Category:Women academic administrators Category:Royal Air Force air marshals