Group Captain Jo Lincoln MBE is the new Station Commander at Royal Air Force Wittering and formally takes up her appointment at the historic Station today.
Image By: SAC Kim Waterson
After graduating with an honours degree in Business Administration (with Spanish), Jo Lincoln joined the Royal Air Force in 1997 and is an experienced military logistics officer. She takes over from Group Captain Tony Keeling, who leaves on promotion to the rank of Air Commodore.
Group Captain Lincoln has two roles. The first is the smooth running of RAF Wittering, including its airfield and good relations with the nearby communities. The second is the command of the specialized engineering and logistics squadrons that make up the A4 Force, which support air operations and exercises at home and abroad.
Image By: SAC Kim Waterson
Although the headquarters is at RAF Wittering, there are A4 Force engineering and logistic units at almost every Royal Air Force station.
The new Station Commander is well qualified for this post. Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq are some of the operations to which she has contributed. Group Captain Lincoln has also served with US Transportation Command and was the first UK Detachment Commander for 906 Expeditionary Air Wing in the Middle East.
She said: “I am absolutely thrilled, it is a great honour. Nothing quite prepares you for the moment when you’re told that the next job is Station Commander at RAF Wittering. It’s is a challenging job, but we have amazingly dedicated and talented service personnel, civil servants and contractors, and tremendous support from the local and civic communities.”
Station Commanders in the Royal Air Force rely on the experience and skills of their Warrant Officers. They maintain discipline and standards, and keep the wheels turning on a day-to-day basis. Si Bervoets is the principal Warrant Officer for the A4 Force, and Hywel Greening is the Station Warrant Officer.
Image By: SAC Kim Waterson
Group Captain Lincoln said: “Being an effective leader means keeping a good team around you. The A4 Force Warrant Officer and Station Warrant Officer are my direct lines into the men and women who keep the Station and A4 Force running smoothly and go wherever air operations and exercises are happening.”
The RAF is currently engaged in 15 missions on 4 continents in 22 countries, which people from Wittering are actively supporting, as well as preparing the next generation of Royal Air Force pilots. Pilots training at the Station today will depend on the engineering and logistics support of the A4 Force in future air operations.
Jo Lincoln and her husband Paul are keen runners and exercise regularly with their border collie, Kai. In their spare time they enjoy travelling and are looking forward to exploring the beautiful countryside in the counties surrounding RAF Wittering.
Group Captain Lincoln concluded: “I would especially like to congratulate Tony Keeling on his forthcoming promotion and thank him for his hard work during his two years as Station Commander. We’re going to build on that work and exploit the opportunities we have to take RAF Wittering and the A4 Force forward.”
