ALISON McLEAN, WING COMMANDER PEOPLE OPERATIONS OFFICER, ROYAL AIR FORCE SO1 AIR PERSONNEL CASEWORK, HQ AIR COMMAND
Alison is a People Operation’s Officer in the Royal Air Force. She is in her second year as the Officer Commanding Air Personnel Casework team, at Air Command, and the HQ pillar lead for Service Discipline across the RAF. Alison returned from her second maternity leave in Aug 21 and has completed 18 years of Service in the RAF and previously served 6 years in the Territorial Army. In addition to her primary role, Alison was integral to creating the first RAF Parenting Cell and is now invested in improving victim support for our personnel.
Alison was the 2017 WID winner for the Inspirational category and the WID Women of the Year award. She was nominated in recognition for her determination in overcoming a life-changing and career threatening injury sustained whilst serving in Afghanistan, which led to a spinal operation in 2014, returning to full Service in the RAF and delivering an array of betterment opportunities for Service personnel and their families. Alison was recognised for implementing a new mentoring scheme for RAF Odiham’s most Junior personnel, deployment dinners for spouses, parental support and community outreach schemes which created a much greater sense of wellbeing and resilience in the families of RAF Odiham’s deployed personnel. Alison also established a network of mental health first aid representatives across the Station and pursued improvements to the support provided to their Service families through limited resource and funding.
Alison has served in an array of Personnel roles at Lossiemouth, Coningsby, Valley (Anglesey), High Wycombe, Linton-on-Ouse, Imgin Barracks (Gloucester), Fylingdales (Whitby), Odiham and High Wycombe as well as serving 6 months in Lashkar-Gah, Afghanistan as the Aide Camp to the Head of Mission, Foreign Office. Alison is married to Craig, and in addition to Charlie (2.5), they have Finlay (5) and a New Zealand Hunterway dog called Koru. As a family they have a love for the outdoors and seem to collect more sticks than you could shake one at and sung ‘let it go’ more times that she wishes to declare!