AFTER a two-year stint in which he has successfully piloted RAF Lyneham through the demanding Iraqi conflict, Station Commander, Group Captain Ray Lock has handed over the reins for controlling the station.

Gp Capt Lock performed the official hand-over of the station to Group Captain Paul Nolan Oborn on Friday.

Gp Capt Lock will now move to the Military Staff College in Shrivenham, where he has been selected to attend a four-month tri-service senior officers' course, followed by a job at the Permanent Joint Headquarters in London.

He said: "It has been a great privilege to have served as station commander during this momentous period in RAF Lyneham's history.

"The hard work and resolve of everyone who works here has been fantastic.

"And so too, has the support from their families and the local community."

The new man at the helm, Gp Capt Oborn, has a long association with the station.

A New Zealander by birth, who is married with an eight-year-old son, he was first posted to Lyneham in 1981, as a Hercules co-pilot in 30 Squadron.

An internal posting to 70 Squadron in 1985 saw him complete a successful conversion to captain on the same craft.

In 1988 he was posted to the station's 242 Operation Conversion Unit as a qualified flying instructor on the Hercules. He was made up to Squadron Leader in 1991.

In the last 12 years, Gp Capt Oborn has fulfilled an active role in the RAF. He was appointed to Headquarters Strike Command in 2000, as Personal Staff Officer to Commander-In-Chief Strike Command.

Promoted to Group Captain in January 2003, he enjoyed another stint at Lyneham conducting C-130J training.

He said: "Returning to RAF Lyneham feels like I'm coming back home.

"To take command of any station is a tremendous honour, but when it's one that you've grown up with, there's an even greater affinity."

The Ministry of Defence announced plans to close RAF Lyneham in July and to transfer operations to RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

A clearer picture of how many of RAF Lyneham's 3,500 staff are expected to move over to Brize Norton and when, could be known by February