Group Captain Roger Simon was born in Livingstone, Zambia but has lived the majority of his life in the United Kingdom. A former Air Cadet with 2507 (Bicester) Squadron, he joined the Royal Air Force in February 1988 and completed Initial Officer Training at RAFC Cranwell.
Having sustained an injury whilst attending the Junior Regiment Officers’ Course he re-branched, becoming an Administrative (Secretarial) Officer. His subsequent first tour was at RAF Coltishall as Officer Commanding Accounts Flight. From Coltishall he undertook a 5 month detachment to the Falkland Islands prior to his posting to RAF Halton where he was employed as a flight commander, overseeing the training of engineering tradesmen and apprentices. During this tour he was deployed for 5 months in support of Operation DENY FLIGHT. A spell on the support staff of the RAF Staff College, Bracknell followed in 1995.
In 1997 he was posted to RAF Odiham as the Officer Commanding Personnel Services Flight. Leaving Odiham in 1999 he took up a post on the staff of the Air Officer Administration, Headquarters Strike Command at RAF High Wycombe. Promoted to Squadron Leader in January 2001, he continued to serve at High Wycombe before deployment to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia under Operation RESINATE SOUTH in 2002; this deployment was elongated by Operations TELIC and VERITAS. He returned in 2003 to take up the post of Officer Commanding Personnel Management Squadron at RAF Lyneham.
In 2005, he was posted to the Permanent Joint Headquarters at Northwood where he served in the Middle East Operations Team, responsible for the Joint Administration aspects of Operation TELIC and other contingent operations. A short tour followed as the Career Manager for Administrative Branch squadron leaders before his promotion and selection for the Advanced Command and Staff Course. A graduate of Number 11 Advanced Command and Staff Course, Group Captain Simon served as the Officer Commanding Support Wing at RAF Wittering from August 2008 until April 2010 before joining the team overseeing for the drawdown of the Harrier aircraft and the closure of RAF Cottesmore.
Staff tours followed, most notably as the Chief of Staff within the Manning Directorate at HQ AIR, before he took up post as the officer responsible for Exercises and Simulation in the Joint Services Command and Staff College. He was promoted in July 2016 to become the Commandant of Wales and West Region, Air Training Corps.
Group Captain Simon’s hobbies and interests include the outdoors and all ‘proper’ sports but especially Rugby (he is a loyal but often disappointed Gloucester season ticket holder!).