Wing Commander Rob Williams was educated in Birmingham and Sheffield with a BSc (Hons) degree in Business Administration & Management and an MSc in Strategic Human Resources Management. With both part-time and full-time uniformed service with the RAuxAF and the RAF, he was commissioned into the logistics (Movements) Branch and undertook a substantial amount of mobile tasking with the United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements Squadron (UKMAMS) leading teams of both regular and reserve personnel. He was detached to RAF Mount Pleasant as A/OC Air Movements Flight followed by a further detachment to HQSTC, working within the Logistics Support Cell, specialising in logistics mobility.

After a tour as OC Airport Unit in the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, he attended the Joint Services’ Movements Staff Course and continued to enjoy the role of Duty Air Movements Officer (DAMO) in numerous locations across the world which include – RAF Liaison Officer in the Azores and RAF Detachment Commander on two major NATO exercises.

On promotion to Squadron Leader in 2000, Rob completed a short residential course at the NATO Defence College in Rome and in November 2001 he was appointed Commanding Officer Number 501 Sqn RAuxAF based at RAF Brize Norton (It is worth noting that 501 Sqn included those members of the then disbanded 2624 Sqn RAF Regiment). During his tenure, Rob restructured, trained, and deployed his force protection squadron to both Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving his post in January 2008. Rob successfully completed the Advanced Command Staff Course with the Canadian Forces Staff College Course in 2007.

After a cross JOA tour on Operation TELIC/HERRICK (Iraq/Afghanistan) where he commanded the Coalition Movements Coordination Cell, Rob was promoted, and appointed Commanding Officer Number 4624 (Movements) Sqn in September 09. Despite being in a Command appointment, he was deployed as Commanding Officer Number 906 Expeditionary Air Wing – Trapani, Sicily from July to November 2011 on Operation ELLAMY (Libya). He was responsible for the provision of A1 to A9 functions for the VC10 and the E-3D Force Elements, aviation fuel supply for the air-to-air refuelling capability of the UK and Royal Canadian Forces, along with Host Nation and community relations.

Rob was deployed on Op HERRICK as the ANSF, Security Forces Assistance Logistics Development lead at Camp Leatherneck (Afghanistan); embedded within the US Marines’ – II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) from August 2013 to February 2014; where he worked alongside the Afghan National Army and various pillars of the Afghan National Police.

On handing over his Command of 4624 Sqn in December 2015, Rob was posted to SHAPE (Belgium) as the Deputy Team Leader NATO Assurance Measures within the Comprehensive Crisis Operations Management Cell; his work include NATO’s position on risk reduction and transparency in all domains, support to activities within the Baltic States, enhanced forward presence and SACEUR’s Strategic Directive for NATOs Assurance Measures. On return to the UK, he was appointed as the Chief of Staff for the Defence School of Communications and Information Systems (DSCIS), based in Blandford, Dorset, where he provided direct support to Commandant DSCIS and the Executives within No. 11 SIGNAL Regiment, No 1 Radio School and the Aerial Erector School. Moving from DSCIS to HQ Defence College Technical Training (DCTT) in August 2017, Rob was employed as Project Officer for the DCTT Change Programme, where he led on programme scheduling, assessing programme dependencies across HQ Air change programmes and direct support to the programme manager.

Rob was tasked with a short notice deployment in January 2018 to that of the United Kingdom’s Senior National Representative and Branch Chief J4/J6 within EUFOR HQ on Op ALTHEA/ Op ELGIN (Bosnia). He worked with the British Embassy in Sarajevo and the UK PJHQ, resulting in the uplift of UK personnel to support the Operational Commander and COM EUFOR to meet their collective Intent.

Rob went to take up the post of Section Head of NATO’s Allied Movement Coordination Centre (AMCC) in SHAPE, Belgium. During his 3-year posting, he and his team coordinated NATO’s logistics planning for operations and exercises, developed and trained NATO personnel on logistics methodology and software integration. Working with 30 nations and multiple Partnership for Peace Nations, Rob was the logistics focal point for logistics deconfliction across, through and via multiple nations – whether by air, land, rail, sea, and inland waterways; resulting in the delivery of multiple, deconflicted plans to meet NATO’s strategic direction. In November 2021, he was appointed as the Air Regional Employer Engagement Officer for the West Midlands – a role he still occupies.

In October 2024, Rob accepted the appointment of President, 2624 Sqn Association, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise to lead the Association into 2025 and beyond. In recognition of his immense contribution to the Royal Air Force Reserves, Rob was awarded the Kings Volunteer Reserves Medal in the 2025 New Year Honours List.