Flt Lt Liam Perry MBE Retires

24 February 2023 will be an extraordinary date for No.1 S of TT, as it marks the retirement of Flt Lt Liam Perry MBE after an incredible 49 years of Regular and Reserve service in the Royal Air Force.

Joining the Service 2 November 1972 as a Weapons Craft Apprentice, Liam has had an extensive and diverse career. Working on Jaguars and Harriers in his early career at Lossiemouth and Bruggen, he is one of very few service personnel who can claim to have routinely loaded nuclear weapons on and off aircraft. Standing head and shoulders above his peers from the outset, Liam flew up the ranks, reaching sgt in less than 8 years and having worked on a myriad of equipment including ejection seats, rocket systems and aircraft guns. He was, however, soon setting his sights on other goals and by November 1984, he had been accepted for Initial Officer Training at RAF Cranwell. 2 years of training would see him graduate; picking up several accolades for academic excellence. Returning to Bruggen in December 1986, he would find himself in the very same building he had worked in as a junior technician and cpl, but now as the Flt Cdr of Arm Eng. Building on previous experience he would go on to become a nuclear weapon supervisor and training officer, and one of only a handful of nuclear

EOD officers in the Service. By September 1994 he was made acting sqn ldr, becoming Nuclear Weapons specialist and OC Arm at RAF Marham, coordinating the return of nuclear weapons from Germany to the UK for disposal. Full promotion would come in July 1995 and would see him becoming a DDSM weapons specialist and explosives risk assessor. Additionally, he organised the disaggregation of Support Command. Later tours would see him undertake roles as OC Trg Sqn, No.1 S of TT, SO2 A4 Eng Support, HQ STC and SO2 J4 Eng Support in the South Atlantic Islands. His final tour in regular service was serving as No.1 S of TT XO and OC QCIT.

Transferring to the Voluntary Reserves in September 2012 and assigned to No.1 S of TT since, Liam has been a stalwart of the School since his arrival. Holding the roles of ATS Flt Cdr and OC HFF, he has been instrumental in the development and delivery of Human Factors training for close to 10 years and has contributed to the RAF Safety Culture through the positive influence of what must be thousands of staff members and trainees. Liam has been a passionate representative of RAF Motorsport and a member of the RAF Cosford Kart Club since 2000. Holding the role of OIC / Chairman and Manager since 2001, he has been resolute in his commitment to this sport, giving 20-25 hours a week to develop the Club from what a small, under-subscribed minor operation to one of the biggest and most successful enterprises at RAF Cosford. His outstanding commitment and drive has seen the club grow to a rolling membership of 70+ members, with over 5000 guests hosted by the club over the years. His positive engagement with trainees has not only developed their own skills and passion for motorsport but has supported their wider development and understanding of RAF Ethos.

Over the years Liam has picked up a variety of awards including the RAF Motor Sports Association Per Ardua Motor Club Trophy, the Royal Air Force Safety Centre Safety Trophy, and a lifetime achievement award at the RAF Sports Awards 2022. Most recently he was named in the King’s New Year’s Honours list and awarded an MBE. An incredible honour in recognition of his service in what has been an exceptional career. On behalf of all at No.1 S of TT and the wider station, I congratulate him on this incredible achievement, and wish him the very best in what is a thoroughly deserved retirement.