ALISON McLEAN, WING COMMANDER PEOPLE OPERATIONS OFFICER, ROYAL AIR FORCE SO1 AIR PERSONNEL CASEWORK, HQ AIR COMMAND
Wg Cdr Ali McLean has been a People Operation’s Officer in the Royal Air Force for 19 years and previously served 6 years in the Territorial Army. She took over as Officer Commanding Base Support Wing in Nov 23 at the RAF’s F35 Lightning fifth generation aircraft Main Operating Base where she is responsible for delivering all the the people elements to running the Air Base. Alison arrived having completed two years as SO1 Air Personnel Casework, at Air Command, where she was the HQ pillar lead for Service Discipline, Honours and Awards and Specialist Casework across the RAF.
Alison was the 2017 WID winner for the Inspirational category and the WID Women of the Year award having been 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. She returned to full Service in the RAF and delivered 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 they have an ‘independent’ daughter, Charlie (3), and a ‘lively’ son, Finlay (5). As a family they have a love for the outdoors and enjoy many days shell hunting and building sandcastles at the nearby beaches.