New chief is facing hard task at base

Group Captain Paul Oborn, 43, a New Zealander by birth, has taken over from Gp Capt Ray Lock.

After being the station commander for nearly two years Gp Capt Lock is moving on to train at the Military Staff College at Shrivenham for a job at the Armed Forces' Permanent Joint Headquarters in London.

Part of Gp Capt Oborn's role will be to deal with issues arising from the Ministry of Defence's decision to close the base by 2012 and move RAF transport fleet operations to RAF Brize Norton.

RAF Lyneham spokesman Flt Lt Allan Pluckrose said: "At the moment an implementation team is working at Lyneham and Brize Norton to see how the transfer will be carried out. However, no firm decisions have yet been made. The team will report back to the Station Commander."

Flt Lt Pluckrose said the implementation team was expected to give its initial report early in the New Year.

Gp Capt Oborn joined the RAF in 1980 as an officer cadet.

On completion of basic flying training, he was posted to the base he now commands as a Hercules co-pilot.

He has spent many years at the base, as well undertaking postings elsewhere for training and professional development.

By 1988 he was a flying instructor at Lyneham

And, by January of this year, he was in charge of training the crews in the operation of the C-130J, the latest model of Hercules.

On taking over as station commander, 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 have grown up with, there's an even greater affinity."

Gp Capt Lock, who was in charge of the base during the long wait to find out whether it would survive, said: "It's 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.

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