Wing Commander Glenn S Cockerill MCIL RAF

Wing Commander Glenn Cockerill was born in British Military Hospital Rinteln in 1966 and was educated at Prior Pursglove College, Guisborough. Whilst there, he was awarded a 6th Form Scholarship and succeeded in his life-long ambition to join the Royal Air Force as a Direct Entrant in January 1986.

Following professional Administrative (Secretarial) training at Hereford, he was posted to RAF Innsworth as Officer Commanding Personnel Service Flight. This was followed by an extended tour on the SAMA team where as a team leader he was responsible for implementing SAMA at RAF Locking and Gatow. He also implemented the Local Works Maintenance Budget (LWMB) systems at Sealand, Valley, Stafford, Cosford and Shawbury. Overseas service followed in the form of Families’ Officer at RAF Bruggen at a time when TACEVAL reigned and the closure of Wildenrath and rationalization of the housing stock caused families’ considerable hardship. A brief tour as OC Accounts Flight at RAF St Athan was followed by being appointed as the Office Commander of the Armed Forces Careers Office in Plymouth. A third tour at Innsworth saw him employed as an Oracle programmer and his final tour as a Flt Lt was as OC Station Services Flight at RAF Boscombe Down responsible for Works Services, Security and the PEd section.

Promoted to Squadron Leader in May 2001, Wing Commander Cockerill was posted to his 3rd Information Technology related appointment. This time responsible for pay development post Pay 2000. He worked closely with a number of agencies to develop solutions for specialist pay for Special Forces, pay for the Professional Aviator Pay Spine and Chaplains and Changes to Terms and Conditions of Service for Doctors, Dentists and Nurses. His ambition to serve as an Officer Commanding Personnel Management Squadron was fulfilled with a posting to RAF Odiham, at a time when the focus on Operations was immense. Whilst there he completed ICSC and, determined to see through the implementation of Joint Personnel Administration, he completed an extended tour. His final Squadron Leader appointment was as SO2 J1 Personnel in the Joint Helicopter Command Headquarters. During this extended tour he saw 4 months’ active service as the Liaision Officer for MND(SE) in Bagdad where he acted as the conduit between MND(SE) and MNC-I. Latterly, following internal restructuring and a reduction in Staff Officers from an SO1 and 3 SO2s to 1 SO2, Sqn Ldr Cockerill took on the additional challenging role of SO1 J1 Personnel for his final 15 months as a Squadron Leader.

Along with the routine career and appointment related courses, Wing Commander Cockerill has chosen to additionally focus on Equality and Diversity, is a qualified Harassment Investigation Officer and is a trained IIP assessor.

His interests include skiing, travel and amateur photography. He maintains his fitness by playing Squash and Badminton to a reasonable level, hill walking and he has a passion for hockey. .