New commandant for Air Cadets

A new commandant has been welcomed into the role at the Royal Air Force Cadets.

The post, which is based at RAF College Cranwell, has been taken on by Air Commodore Tony Keeling, 50.

He takes the baton of command from Group Captain John Lawlor, who had been interim commandant since July when Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty retired.

He said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the next commandant of the RAF Air Cadets; it is an amazing youth organisation of nearly 60,000 volunteers and cadets, comprised of the Air Training Corps, the Combined Cadet Force (RAF) and 2 Flying Training School, and found across the whole of the UK and in some overseas locations.”

Air Commodore Keeling, a former Air Cadet from 145 (Altrincham & Hale) Squadron, is an RAF engineer by profession and his last post was as the Air Officer A4, responsible for all aspects of the RAF’s operational engineering and logistics, the associated branches and trades, as well as RAF Photography and RAF Music Services.