Wing Commander Paul Bower has been presented with the Insignia of an Officer in the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) by HRH The Prince of Wales at a recent Investiture at Buckingham Palace. He was accompanied by his wife, Gail, and family.
His volunteer service with the Air Training Corps spans 37 years and he shows no sign of stopping. A highly regarded former Cadet Warrant Officer, he was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Reserve (Training) Branch in 1977 and went on to command 1220 (March) Squadron. A move into a Wing Staff Officer post where he shaped the output of fellow officers came in 1991 and in 1996 he was promoted to Squadron Leader. In 2002 he was promoted again and took post as Officer Commanding Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Wing which he commanded for 11 years, and during that time it was hailed as one of the best in the Corps
He then became the Regional Adventure Training Technical Officer for Central & Eastern Region, a post he still holds today. Since then he has been incredibly influential in the development of the many moving parts that make up the cadet experience, and tens of thousands of Royal Air Force Air Cadets and staff have benefited from his outstanding leadership and brilliant management. Aided by his considerable experience as a highly qualified Mountain Leader he has been a key member of the Adventure Training Technical Panel, where he continues to champion change to ensure that high risk activity remains accessible for the majority.
On receiving his OBE Wing Commander Bower said “the whole experience was quite amazing, with some amazing people met who were also waiting for the presentation of their honours. They were all quite nervous (as was the family), and seemed to be quite surprised that I wasn’t. When some asked why, I replied that when you have been doing this as long as I have, you don’t get nervous anymore.”
Many congratulations!