Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...
Rowena Atherton is a former
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) and ...
(RAF) officer.
With a logistics background, Atherton joined the RAF aged 17 in 1979 and completed training at
RAF Henlow.
After becoming Station Commander at
RAF Wittering
Royal Air Force Wittering or more simply RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire and the unitary authority area of North Northamptonshire. Although Stamford, Lincolnshire, Sta ...
in 2006, Atherton banned RAF Wittering personnel from wearing uniform while off duty. This was in response to reports that personnel from the station were receiving abuse due to the wars in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
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 ...
.
Atherton deployed to Afghanistan in July 2008 as Deputy Commander Joint Force Support Headquarters.
RAF's first female Force Commander ready for Afghanistan
retrieved 27 June 2008
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atherton, Ro
Living people
Royal Air Force officers
Royal Air Force personnel of the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Women in the Royal Air Force
Women's Royal Air Force airwomen
Year of birth missing (living people)