Group Captain J Gladston MBE DFC RAF Welcomes You

Having brothers already serving with the British Army and the Royal Navy, Group Captain John Gladston joined the Royal Air Force 1986. He was commissioned through the University Cadetship scheme graduating with a BEng (Hons) in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the University of Southampton.

Following flying training in Texas he was streamed to the Hercules in 1992. In the interim Gladston completed the All Arms Commando Course and became a Forward Air Controller attached to 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

After a short period with No LXX Squadron, in 1995 Gladston was selected to serve with No 47 Squadron, flying the C130 in support of operations in the Balkans and Sierra Leone.

Promoted Squadron Leader in 1999, Gladston served in Strike Command Air Operations and was the deployed Air Commander for operations in Kosovo and Sierra Leone. In 2001 Gladston returned to 47 Squadron as a Flight Commander, leading his flight through 2 years of continuous combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Promoted Wing Commander, he completed the Advanced Command and Staff Course in 2004 and served on the staff of the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation in Norfolk Virginia, deploying to Baghdad as the Director of Staff to the NATO Training Mission - Iraq.

In 2006 Gladston took command of No 99 Squadron, operating the Boeing C17 Globemaster in the strategic airlift role. Promoted Group Captain he took Command of 903 Expeditionary Air Wing in Basrah in October 2008 and RAF Lyneham in December 2009.

Gladston was made a MBE in 2001 and was awarded the DFC in 2002. Married with 2 young children his keen interests include Rugby Union and telemark skiing.