RAF Mildenhall says farewell to Station Commander

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Kelly O'Connor
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  Sqn. Ldr. Richard Fryer retired Aug. 31, 2018, after 41 years of service in the Royal Air Force.

Fryer joined the RAF in hopes of becoming a pilot on Oct. 9, 1977. He passed the pilot selection and aptitude tests, but his eyesight was too poor to fly. Instead, he commissioned as an air traffic controller to be as close to flying as possible and contribute to the service’s critical flying mission.

Fryer fulfilled his air traffic control duty at 11 different RAF bases around the United Kingdom until 1998 when he took on a staff appointment in personnel, casework and policy at RAF Innsworth from August 1998 to March 2002. Following that assignment, he was the commanding officer of the operations squadron at Joint Force Harrier RAF Cottesmore until May 2005.

From August 2005 to May 2007, he worked at RAF Brampton, Wyton, and Henlow as the officer commanding operations squadron and officer commanding force development.

On May 21, 2007, he was assigned to RAF Mildenhall – home of the KC-135 Stratotanker, CV-22 Osprey, and MC-130J Commando II. As Station Commander, Fryer advised seven 100th Air Refueling Wing commanders on U.K. policies. He was also Head of Establishment for RAF personnel and Ministry of Defence civilians.

“It is important and remains important that the MoD workforce know what their future is,” Fryer expressed. “There’s a large element of managing a message to our workforce, so that along with the 100th ARW leadership, we are giving the same open and honest message.”

Fryer further explained how vital the relationship between the U.S. Air Force, the RAF, and the MoD is in the U.K., and how he has seen that relationship grow stronger over the span of his career.

“Between the two air forces, it’s important that we can operate together,” Fryer said. “The focus of my mission and the MoD is to enable the U.S. Air Force to project combat power from its installations in the U.K., and my part in that was Mildenhall.”

The CV-22 Osprey was one example Fryer listed of how he’s seen combined inoperability play a role in the U.K. theatre.

“The aircraft is quite different,” Fryer said. “It’s nice to see that the aircraft is able to utilize the U.K. low-flying airspace effectively as it does and work closely with the U.K. Special Forces.”

A moment that struck a chord for Fryer was last February when he had the honor of attending a Distinguished Flying Cross presentation to an MC-130J crew. He was proud to be invited amongst heroes who will be remembered in air combat history.

Fryer himself has a long history. Forty-one years of seeing numerous planes take off into the skies above and seeing his fellow Airmen accomplish greatness through air superiority. Now his military path comes to an end.

For what’s next, “I’m going to retire. We don’t have a plan to do anything specific,” Fryer said with a smile. “We have a house that’s nearly as old as the United States, so there’s work to do.”