By Amarachi Orie, NCS
London (NCS) — The Red Arrows, the United Kingdom’s well-known Royal Air Force Aerobatics Team, has appointed its first ever female commander, lower than three years after it was roiled by a sexual harassment scandal.
Wing Commander Sasha Nash has changed Wing Commander Adam Collins as essentially the most senior officer within the team, the Royal Air Force (RAF) stated in a information launch Monday.
As Officer Commanding, Nash will lead the 150-strong unit, together with floor and air crew, and oversee all areas of the Red Arrows, together with aerobatic reveals, engineering, security and engagement, the RAF stated.
“This is a career opportunity of a lifetime – if someone had told me, 20 years ago, that one day I’d be Officer Commanding of the Red Arrows, I don’t think I would have believed it,” Nash stated within the launch.
“This is a team of dedicated, diligent and enthusiastic people – exemplifying the ethos and values found in units right across the RAF – and I’m excited to work with them to continue to deliver the levels of excellence the Red Arrows are globally renowned for,” she added.
Red Arrow pilots are among the many most talented aviators in the British military. Nash, who joined the RAF in 2005, was beforehand chief of employees within the Display Wing Headquarters. An skilled fast-jet pilot, she has flown the RAF’s Tornado GR4 on the frontline and through workouts around the globe.
Originally from Berkshire, southeast England, Nash confirmed an early ardour for aviation. “I was a six-year-old little girl when I decided to join the Royal Air Force and to fly fast-jets – inspired by airshows and seeing the speed and excitement of aircraft displaying at those events,” she stated.
While nonetheless in highschool, she acquired a scholarship after which a college bursary to affix the RAF, she added.
Nash, who’s former lacrosse participant for England, stated she is “incredibly proud” to be “commanding a team whose aim is to represent the UK and help inspire future generations of aviators from all backgrounds.”
“As I hand over command to Sasha, I would like to wish her all the very best for the future,” stated Collins, who reached the tip of his three-year tour with the team, “and am confident that under her leadership, the Red Arrows will continue to demonstrate our recipe of precision, excellence and teamwork across the globe.”
Nash’s appointment comes lower than three years after the RAF’s air chief supplied an “unreserved apology” following investigations that discovered “widespread” and “normalised” unacceptable behaviors inside the Red Arrows, together with sexual harassment, bullying and an alcohol-focused tradition.
Included within the investigations, which lined the interval between 2018 and 2022, have been studies of incidents involving the publicity of genitals, predatory conduct towards female service personnel by their male counterparts, and inappropriate conduct facilitated by the consumption of alcohol.
The findings, revealed in 2023, led to modifications in management and contained suggestions together with coaching to advertise an inclusive team tradition, reviewing job specs to encourage functions from potential commanders with broader experiences and views, and the publication of a information for all RAF employees, setting out their roles, tasks and duties.
The-NCS-Wire
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