Squadron Leader Michael Neaves

Sqn Ldr Neaves is a Logistics Officer, whose has served in the Fast Jet, Rotary, Air Mobility,  Air Cmd, Joint and NATO fields. After completing a degree in Catering Management at the  Manchester Metropolitan University in 1994, Neaves undertook Initial Officer Training at RAF  Cranwell before training as a Catering Officer. He was posted to RAF Brize Norton as the  Junior Catering Officer in Oct 1995. Following this he undertook Junior Officer tours as;  Officer Commanding Catering Flight at RAF Boulmer, Deputy Officer Commanding Catering  Squadron at RAF Bruggen, Deputy Catering Contract Monitor at RAF Cranwell, and Officer  Commanding Catering Flight at RAF Leeming. In 2001 he undertook his first operational  tour as the Falkland Islands Assistant Senior Catering Officer. In 2003 he served on Op  TELIC as the Theatre Catering Officer, based at Ali Al Salem in Kuwait, with responsibility  for the RAF catering teams at Basra Airport and Um Quasar Port, regularly travelling  throughout Iraq by road and air.  

On promotion to Sqn Ldr in 2004, Neaves served for 4 years in Joint Helicopter Command at  RAF Odiham. First as Officer Commanding Catering Squadron, and latterly as Chief of Staff  Base Support Wing. During this tour Neaves was posted to the UK National Command  Centre at Kandahar, Afghanistan, as the Force Catering Officer, working in a 1 star lead tri service environment. In 2008, following his tour at RAF Odiham, Neaves was posted to Air  Command at RAF High Wycombe into the Catering Role Office, as the SO2 Catering  Operations. In this role he was responsible for all in-flight and operational catering, and the  deployment of all Trade Group 19 personnel. During this tour he visited Cyprus, Iraq,  Afghanistan, UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Egypt, Kenya, USA, Canada, Ascension Island  and the Falkland Islands. 

In 2009 Neaves was transferred in to the new RAF Logistics branch, a merger of the  Catering and Supply branches. In 2010 Neaves was posted to the NATO Training Mission  Iraq as the SO2 Logistics Training and Real Life Support (RLS) Manager for the Officers  Education and Training Unit. Here he served in a US-led multi-national command, teaching  logistics to the Iraq defence staffs and managing the RLS aspects of his peers and chain of  command. Upon completion of this tour Neaves was posted to the Permanent Joint  Headquarters at Northwood, as SO2 J4 Host Nation Support / Coalition Support. He was  responsible for managing all existing, and writing new, MoD MOUs. From here is travelled  extensively to the Middle East, Estonia, Macedonia and Cyprus, engaging with other nations  military liaisons in Northwood and London. In 2013 Neaves began a 5 year tour as the  Logistics Officer in the F-35 Lightning Force Headquarters. This challenging tour saw him  write the supply chain, and deployment policy and procedures for the F-35, as well as  travelling extensively to the USA for planning and production meetings. In Jan 2016 Neaves  graduated from Lincoln University with an MSc in the Management of Logistics. 

He lives in married quarters at Medmenham near Marlow, and has been married to Laura for  22 years. They have 2 children, Sophie 15 and Joshua 11. His interests include watching  his beloved Manchester United as a season ticket holder, running the RAF Medmenham  Families Club and running. In 2014 he ran 10 half marathons in 10 days, in 2015 he  completed the London marathon, and in 2016 ran a double marathon from Oxford to Henley  along the Thames path. In the last 5 years he has raised over £10,000 for male cancer  charities.