30:
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323:
her greatest inspiration. Her interests include gardening, cycling and watching horseriding events. She lists her favourite author as
Shakespeare, she enjoys gardening, walking, cycling and the theatre and is president of the RAF Theatrical Association and the RAF Netball Association. In 2012 she was
694:
208:
On leaving, Cooper went on to gain qualifications in property management. Finding she missed the service, she chose to return to the WRAF, entering the
Administrative Branch as a flight lieutenant on 16 October 1987 with seniority from 16 April 1987.
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role followed one week later at the Cadet150 reception commemorating 150 years of the Cadet Forces of the tri-Service military. The following month she attended the second of the two
380:
288:. At the beginning of the following year, Cooper was promoted from group captain to the rank of air commodore, becoming the most senior female officer in the British armed forces.
325:
266:, Cooper served as Deputy Director Service Personnel Policy (Operations and Manning), which includes operational welfare policy, and included reporting before the government
274:
on 31 October 2003 "in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in connection with operations in Iraq during the period 19th March to 19th April 2003".
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157:. She was promoted to air commodore in 2008 and became the RAF's highest-ranking female. She became the Assistant Chief of Staff (Manning) at Air Command
1331:
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197:(WRAF) in the role of air-traffic controller, at a time when far fewer women were in the service. She served for seven years. She was promoted from
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141:
125:
868:
843:
252:
787:
281:, which formed in April 2002 as a consolidation of the constituent colleges such as the JSCSC, and Royal College of Defence Studies.
220:, she had responsibility for running the Prisoner of War Information Bureau, acting as liaison to the International Committee of the
239:(to March 2000), in which she was in charge of base support and where her staff provided operational support for troop movements to
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1007:
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992:
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873:
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181:, Canada. She moved with her family to Britain at the age of eleven. They lived in Worcestershire, where Cooper attended
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346:"Cooper, Air Cdre Barbara, (born 23 Nov. 1958), Royal Air Force Volunteer ex-Regular Reserve (Air Cdre), since 2013"
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events, a Garden Party at
Buckingham Palace, where she spoke to Air Training Corps members from all over the UK.
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997:
833:
604:
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1069:
1012:
780:
284:
From 2007 Cooper was appointed
Assistant Chief of Staff Manpower and Personnel Capability at RAF Air Command
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with her husband
William, a retired RAF officer. Among those she admires she considers suffragette
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212:
From the 1980s, Cooper had a number of postings, including as staff officer to the
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63:
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In 2005, Cooper assumed the role of
Director Royal Air Force Division at the
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29:
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on 3 June 1984. She transferred to the reserves on 2 February 1985.
263:
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115:
111:
765:
251:, which relocated there in the same year. Cooper was appointed an
540:"Head is honoured on the eve of retirement". (5 January 2001).
193:
On a short service commission in 1979, Cooper joined the
410:
Staff writer. (20 January 2010). "The sky's the limit".
161:. She previously served at the tri-service military
577:
620:
459:
216:(the most senior position in the RAF). During the
1293:
479:
515:(Supplement). 30 June 1997. pp. 7559–7560.
439:
636:(Supplement). 31 October 2003. pp. 10–11.
499:
475:(Supplement). 23 November 1987. p. 14451.
1317:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
781:
419:
272:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
126:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
788:
774:
593:(Supplement). 30 December 2000. p. 7.
495:(Supplement). 4 January 1993. p. 106.
455:(Supplement). 11 March 1985. p. 3475.
354:. Oxford University Press. 1 December 2022
253:Officer of the Order of the British Empire
28:
1332:Royal Air Force personnel of the Gulf War
1307:Royal Air Force personnel of the Iraq War
692:Right Royal treat for honoured volunteers
299:. Her first public appearance in her new
1302:Canadian military personnel from Ontario
626:
583:
559:Joint Services Command and Staff College
505:
485:
465:
445:
435:(Supplement). 9 July 1984. p. 9438.
425:
245:Joint Services Command and Staff College
525:"The Armed Forces" (30 December 2000).
177:Cooper was born on 23 November 1958 in
1367:Military personnel from Worcestershire
1294:
1159:Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
718:. National Trust. 2012. Archived from
1082:List of equipment of the RAF Regiment
769:
571:Defence Academy of the United Kingdom
375:
373:
371:
369:
145:(born 23 November 1958) is a retired
1276:
681:" (1 January 2008). Royal Air Force.
597:
406:
404:
338:
983:Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service
795:
684:
646:Maynard, Graham. (November 2003). "
640:
551:
534:
519:
381:Barbara takes command of Air Cadets
235:Cooper served a two-year tenure at
13:
1223:Combined Cadet Force (RAF section)
664:
661:. PSCA International: pp. 112–116.
366:
243:. Thereafter she was stationed at
188:
14:
1378:
748:Commandant Air Cadet Organisation
401:
1357:Women's Royal Air Force officers
1275:
1139:Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
310:
291:From May 2010 Cooper became the
270:on Defence. She was promoted to
1233:RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine
1113:List of serving senior officers
716:"2012 Council election results"
708:
1327:Royal Air Force air commodores
614:Defence Committee Publications
324:elected to the Council of the
1:
1347:Canadian emigrants to England
331:
172:
1337:Women in the Royal Air Force
295:responsible for running the
34:Air Commodore Cooper in 2008
7:
1008:RAF Mountain Rescue Service
1003:RAF Search and Rescue Force
43:1958 (age 65–66)
10:
1383:
1312:Royal Air Force Air Cadets
1164:Warrant Officer of the RAF
859:Operational Training units
659:Defence Management Journal
228:on 5 January 1993, and to
1256:
1208:
1172:
1126:
1108:List of notable personnel
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1052:
1039:Royal Auxiliary Air Force
1031:
943:
913:
905:Satellite Landing Grounds
887:
821:
812:
803:
754:
745:
737:
732:
677:11 September 2013 at the
224:. Cooper was promoted to
149:(RAF) officer and former
121:
107:
97:
87:
77:
69:
57:
49:
39:
27:
20:
1243:RAF Football Association
1144:Air Member for Personnel
864:Schools / Training units
609:Defence Select Committee
546:Newsquest Regional Press
1154:Air Member for Materiel
195:Women's Royal Air Force
1352:Women in war 1945–1999
605:Defence – Third Report
297:Air Cadet Organisation
214:Chief of the Air Staff
169:as Division Director.
155:Air Cadet Organisation
102:Air Cadet Organisation
1044:RAF Volunteer Reserve
257:2001 New Year Honours
70:Years of service
1077:List of RAF missiles
1060:List of RAF aircraft
978:RAF Medical Services
963:RAF Chaplains Branch
722:on 15 December 2012.
697:3 March 2016 at the
564:20 June 2010 at the
386:8 April 2012 at the
1362:People from Evesham
1238:RAF Benevolent Fund
1173:symbols and uniform
806:Ministry of Defence
703:RAF Air Cadets News
653:9 July 2011 at the
413:The Daily Telegraph
392:RAF Air Cadets News
183:Evesham High School
1218:Air Training Corps
1134:Chief of Air Staff
998:RAF Music Services
705:. Royal Air Force.
701:". (3 June 2010).
672:Officer Promotions
648:Scholarly soldiers
633:The London Gazette
617:: pp. Ev 301, 344.
590:The London Gazette
512:The London Gazette
492:The London Gazette
472:The London Gazette
452:The London Gazette
432:The London Gazette
321:Emmeline Pankhurst
1289:
1288:
1118:Personnel numbers
1013:RAF Marine Branch
993:RAF ground trades
939:
938:
764:
763:
755:Succeeded by
733:Military offices
607:" (Jan–Mar 2010)
542:This is Wiltshire
390:" (28 May 2010).
203:flight lieutenant
179:Kingston, Ontario
131:
130:
1374:
1279:
1278:
1209:associated civil
973:RAF Legal Branch
968:RAF Intelligence
854:Conversion units
819:
818:
790:
783:
776:
767:
766:
738:Preceded by
730:
729:
724:
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315:Cooper lives in
268:Select Committee
232:on 1 July 1997.
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32:
18:
17:
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1371:
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1228:RAF Association
1210:
1204:
1200:Heraldic badges
1168:
1122:
1086:
1048:
1027:
953:Air Force Board
945:
935:
909:
883:
814:
808:
799:
797:Royal Air Force
794:
760:
758:Dawn McCafferty
751:
743:
728:
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714:
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699:Wayback Machine
689:
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679:Wayback Machine
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655:Wayback Machine
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396:Royal Air Force
388:Wayback Machine
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334:
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305:sesquicentenary
279:Defence Academy
226:squadron leader
191:
189:Military career
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163:Defence Academy
147:Royal Air Force
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114:
64:Royal Air Force
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35:
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1032:reserve forces
1029:
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1018:RAF Air Cadets
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365:
351:Who's Who 2023
336:
335:
333:
330:
326:National Trust
312:
309:
293:senior officer
230:wing commander
199:flying officer
190:
187:
174:
171:
137:Barbara Cooper
129:
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119:
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109:
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89:Service number
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55:
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53:United Kingdom
51:
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22:Barbara Cooper
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1322:Living people
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1211:organisations
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1149:Air Secretary
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1131:
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1098:Officer ranks
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1080:
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832:
830:
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448:
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407:
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385:
382:
376:
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353:
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341:
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329:
327:
322:
318:
311:Personal life
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196:
186:
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135:
134:Air Commodore
127:
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120:
117:
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110:
106:
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100:
96:
92:
90:
86:
83:
82:Air Commodore
80:
76:
72:
68:
65:
62:
56:
52:
48:
42:
38:
31:
26:
19:
16:
1127:appointments
958:RAF Regiment
944:branches and
874:Glider units
746:
720:the original
710:
702:
686:
666:
658:
642:
631:
622:
612:
599:
588:
579:
569:
553:
541:
536:
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521:
510:
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490:
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470:
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450:
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391:
356:. Retrieved
349:
340:
314:
290:
283:
276:
261:
241:Sierra Leone
234:
211:
207:
192:
176:
159:headquarters
136:
132:
108:Battles/wars
15:
1342:1958 births
1103:Other ranks
869:Ferry units
741:Ian Stewart
628:"No. 57100"
585:"No. 56070"
507:"No. 54820"
487:"No. 53164"
467:"No. 51128"
447:"No. 50059"
427:"No. 49800"
317:Cirencester
262:During the
247:(JSCSC) at
237:RAF Lyneham
1296:Categories
1248:RAF Museum
1023:Operations
988:RAF Police
946:components
879:Misc units
813:formations
752:2010–2012
568:" (2010).
332:References
301:Commandant
249:Shrivenham
173:Early life
167:Shrivenham
151:Commandant
50:Allegiance
1091:personnel
1053:equipment
926:Squadrons
844:Squadrons
815:and units
528:The Times
358:7 October
222:Red Cross
73:1979–2012
1266:timeline
1190:Roundels
914:Regiment
888:stations
829:Commands
695:Archived
675:Archived
651:Archived
562:Archived
384:Archived
264:Iraq War
218:Gulf War
116:Iraq War
112:Gulf War
98:Commands
93:8032068L
58:Service/
1281:commons
1261:history
1195:Uniform
1065:current
931:Flights
849:Flights
416:: p. 3.
255:in the
153:of the
1271:future
1180:Ensign
1070:future
900:Former
895:Active
834:Groups
122:Awards
60:branch
45:Canada
1185:Badge
921:Wings
839:Wings
822:units
360:2023
78:Rank
40:Born
657:".
201:to
165:in
142:CBE
1298::
630:.
611:.
587:.
544:.
509:.
489:.
469:.
449:.
429:.
403:^
394:.
368:^
348:.
328:.
286:HQ
259:.
185:.
139:,
789:e
782:t
775:v
690:"
670:"
603:"
574:.
557:"
548:.
531:.
398:.
379:"
362:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
