Squadron Leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is als ...
Clive Alan Martland, (born 26 August 1968) is a
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
officer who was formerly the most senior
Warrant officer
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...
of the RAF. Having served for most of his career as a
Physical Training Instructor
Physical training instructor (PTI) is a term used primarily in the British Armed Forces and British police, as well as some other Commonwealth countries, for an instructor in physical fitness.
United Kingdom
In the British Army, specialist Ph ...
, he was the
Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer from 2014 until 2016. He was, therefore, the most senior member of the
other ranks of the RAF.
Early life
Martland was born in 1968.
He was educated at
Fulwood High School and
W. R. Tuson College in
Preston, Lancashire. After leaving school, he wanted to either become a
Physical Education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorat ...
teacher at a school or a Physical Training Instructor in the military.
Military career
Martland joined the Royal Air Force in January 1986, aged 17.
[ He completed ]basic training
Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique dema ...
, and then undertook trade training at RAF Cosford
Royal Air Force Cosford or RAF Cosford (formerly DCAE Cosford) is a Royal Air Force station in Cosford, Shropshire, just to the northwest of Wolverhampton and next to Albrighton.
History
Origins
RAF Cosford opened in 1938 as a joint aircraf ...
to become a Physical Training Instructor. His first posting was to RAF Church Fenton
Royal Air Force Church Fenton or RAF Church Fenton was a former Royal Air Force (RAF) station located south east of Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England and north west of Selby, North Yorkshire, near the village of Church Fenton. The station wa ...
in North Yorkshire. This was followed by postings to RAF Cosford in Shropshire and RAF Hereford
RAF Credenhill, also known as RAF Hereford, was a non-flying station of the Royal Air Force situated in the village of Credenhill near Hereford, United Kingdom. It was commissioned in 1940 and served as home for a range of training schools from ...
in Herefordshire, and abroad to RAF Akrotiri
RAF Akrotiri ( el, Βασιλική Πολεμική Αεροπορία Ακρωτηρίου) is a large Royal Air Force base on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. It is located in the Western Sovereign Base Area, one of two areas which compr ...
in Cyprus.[ Having been promoted to sergeant in May 1997, he was posted to the ]Military Corrective Training Centre
Colchester Garrison is a major garrison located in Colchester in the county of Essex, Eastern England. It has been an important military base since the Roman era. The first permanent military garrison in Colchester was established by Legio XX V ...
(MCTC) in Colchester
Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian.
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colch ...
. Next, he was posted to RAF Shawbury
Royal Air Force Shawbury, otherwise known as RAF Shawbury, is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Shawbury in Shropshire in the West Midlands of England.
History The First World War
The station at Shawbury was first used for military ...
, where he served as SNCO of the Physical Education Flight
Flight or flying is the process by which an object moves through a space without contacting any planetary surface, either within an atmosphere (i.e. air flight or aviation) or through the vacuum of outer space (i.e. spaceflight). This can be a ...
. During this latter posting, he also completed an operational tour to the Falkland Islands
The Falkland Islands (; es, Islas Malvinas, link=no ) is an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf. The principal islands are about east of South America's southern Patagonian coast and about from Cape Dubouze ...
.[
He was promoted to flight sergeant in 2005. He then returned to Headley Court where he worked as a teacher of ]exercise therapy
Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
and kinesiology
Kinesiology () is the scientific study of human body movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, anatomical, biomechanical, pathological, neuropsychological principles and mechanisms of movement. Applications of kinesiology to human healt ...
. In June 2007, he moved to RAF Brize Norton
Royal Air Force Brize Norton or RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, about west north-west of London, is the largest station of the Royal Air Force. It is close to the village of Brize Norton, and the towns of Carterton and Witney.
The statio ...
to take command of the base gymnasium. During the posting, he completed a Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years.
The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...
Honours degree in sports rehabilitation.warrant officer
Warrant officer (WO) is a rank or category of ranks in the armed forces of many countries. Depending on the country, service, or historical context, warrant officers are sometimes classified as the most junior of the commissioned ranks, the mos ...
in June 2010. He then returned for a third time to Headley Court, this time as a Trade Specialist advisor to the centre's Exercise Rehabilitation Instructors. During this posting, he was deployed to Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
as part of Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick was the codename under which all British operations in the War in Afghanistan were conducted from 2002 to the end of combat operations in 2014. It consisted of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Ass ...
. In October 2012, he returned to RAF Brize Norton as the station warrant officer
The station warrant officer (SWO, often pronounced as a word) is the senior warrant officer on a British Royal Air Force station. The SWO is responsible for discipline and is therefore comparable to the regimental sergeant major in a British Arm ...
(SWO).[
On 20 October 2014, he took up the appointment of Chief of the Air Staff's Warrant Officer (CASWO).][ He stepped down as CASWO in 2016 and was succeeded by Jon Crossley.
]
Commissioned officer
On 13 October 2016, Martland was granted a commission and made a flight lieutenant.squadron leader
Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr in the RAF ; SQNLDR in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly sometimes S/L in all services) is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is als ...
on 14 May 2018.
Honours
During his posting to RAF Brize Norton between 2007 and 2010, Martland was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal A Meritorious Service Medal is an award presented to denote acts of meritorious service, and sometimes gallantry, that are worthy of recognition. Notable medals with similar names include:
* Meritorious Civilian Service Award
*Meritorious Service Me ...
.non-commissioned officers
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is a military officer who has not pursued a commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority by promotion through the enlisted ranks. (Non-officers, which includes most or all enli ...
who have served a minimum of twenty years in the British Armed Forces and have been judged to have given "good, faithful, valuable and meritorious service". In the 2016 New Years Honours, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(MBE).Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...
, and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal is a service medal awarded to personnel in various branches of the armed forces of the United Kingdom and the territories that are or were at some point a part of the British Empire or Commonwealth of Nations.
...
– the latter awarded for 15 years service.
Personal life
, Martland has been married to Caroline for 13 years. He has two sons and one daughter. As well as enjoying quality time with his family, he also enjoys all sport – particularly football, and admits to "playing golf badly".
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martland, Clive
1968 births
Living people
Royal Air Force airmen
Military personnel from Preston, Lancashire
Recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United Kingdom)
Members of the Order of the British Empire
Warrant Officers of the Royal Air Force