John Harvey (RAAF officer)

Air Marshal John Paul Harvey AM (born 4 September 1954) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) until his retirement at the end of 2011. He held the position of Chief Capability Development Group from October 2010 until December 2011.[1]

John Paul Harvey
Born	4 September 1954 Sydney, New South Wales
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Royal Australian Air Force
Years of service	1977–2011
Rank	Air Marshal
Commands held	Chief Capability Development Group Program Manager, Air Combat Capability Director Military Strategy
Awards	Member of the Order of Australia

Military career

Early career

Harvey joined the RAAF as a navigator in 1977. After completing navigator training at RAAF Base East Sale he was posted to Canberra bomber aircraft at RAAF Base Amberley.[1]

After four years flying Canberra aircraft, Harvey was appointed as the Minister for Defence's escort officer.[2]

Harvey converted to the F-111 and completed a three-year flying tour on F-111. Following this he was appointed to the Joint Intelligence Organisation in Technical Intelligence where he served for three years.[2] Harvey was then posted to the United States Air Force as the Flight Test Director for the F-111 Avionics Update Project.

Harvey spent a year on exchange with the New Zealand Ministry of Defence before taking up a Visiting Fellow position with the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at the Australian National University.[2]

After leaving the Australian National University Harvey was appointed the Defence Attaché to Southern Europe.[1]

Senior command

Harvey was promoted to air commodore and posted as Director General Aerospace Development and on 2 September 2002 he was appointed Director General Air Combat Capability.[1]

In November 2006, Harvey was promoted to air vice marshal and appointed Program Manager New Air Combat Capability within the Defence Materiel Organisation.[1]

In the 2008 Australia Day Honours, Harvey was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for "exceptional service to the Australian Defence Force and Royal Australian Air Force as the Program Manager, New Air Combat Capability".[3]

In October 2010, following the resignation of Vice Admiral Matt Tripovich, Harvey was promoted to the rank of air marshal and appointed as Chief Capability Development Group.

Retirement

At the beginning of December 2011, Harvey's position as Chief of the Capability Development Group was made answerable to a new civilian appointee.[4] Harvey objected to the new arrangement, and subsequently tended his resignation from the RAAF; according to the Canberra Times, he "is not going to another position in Defence".[5][6]

Personal life

Harvey has degrees in architecture from the University of New South Wales as well as psychology and information science.[2]

Honours and awards

	Member of the Order of Australia (AM)	26 January 2008[3]
	Australian Service Medal
	Defence Force Service Medal	30–34 years service
	Australian Defence Medal

References

1. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2009. Retrieved 2 March 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
2. http://www.defence.gov.au/capability/_home/cdaf/Bio_AIRMSHL_John_Harvey.pdf
3. Member of the Order of Australia, 26 January 2008, It's an Honour
4. McPhedran, Ian (27 January 2012). "Smith fires up a heated war with top brass". Adelaide Advertiser. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
5. "Marshal exits over Defence revamp". Canberra Times. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
6. "Problems in the Department of Defence are mainly structural and financial, not personal or civil-military in nature". The Australian Financial Review (not published). 24 September 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2013.