Skip to main content (Press Enter).
 News
    
        Photos

    Week in Photos

    Air Force TV

    Commentaries

    Features

    Art

    About Us
    
        Air Force Senior Leaders
    
        SECAF

    CSAF

    CMSAF

    Biographies

    Fact Sheets

    SECAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library
    
        CSAF Leadership Library 2022

    CSAF Leadership Library 2021

    CSAF Reading List Pre-2020 Archive
    
        2018 CSAF Reading List

    2017 CSAF Reading List

    2016 CSAF Reading List

    CSAF Leadership Library 2023

    CMSAF Leadership Library

    50 Years of the CMSAF

    Adjunct Professors

    Air Force Strategic Documents

    Arctic Strategy

    Empowered Airmen

    State Licensure Portability

    Careers

    AF Federal Advisory Committees

    AF 75th Anniversary

    Policy Updates

    AF Content Management

    Contact Us

    AF Sites
    
        Site RegistrationU.S. Air Force LogoAir Force

        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      handshake photo210602-F-FC975-1183
                        
                        
                        Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., commander of Air Force Materiel Command congratulates Royal Air Force Group Captain Andrew Lloyd, British 2020 Sword of Honor recipient, during a gala event at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 2, 2021. Since 2009 the Sword of Honor has been presented to the top performing exchange officers from the U.S Air Force and the British Royal Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res
        


        sword presentation210602-F-FC975-1159
                        
                        
                        Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., commander of Air Force Materiel Command, presents the 2020 Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation Sword of Honor to Capt. Katie L. Broyles during a gala event at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, June 2, 2021. Since 2009 the Sword of Honor has been presented to the top performing exchange officers from the U.S Air Force and the British Royal Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jim Varhegyi)
                
                Photo Details /
                        Download Hi-Res

Exchange officers conferred Sword of HonorPublished June 7, 2021
                    
                    By Marisa Alia-Novobilski
                    
                    
                    Air Force Materiel Command
            **WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) --**In 1946, Winston S. Churchill delivered a speech calling for a mutual exchange of officers between the U.S. and the British Commonwealth in an effort to further the study of defense needs and weapons technology.
At a gala event at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, June 2, the continued success of this international partnership was celebrated with the award of the 2020 Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation Sword of Honor to the top performing exchange officers from each nation, recognizing excellence in pursuit of aviation.
British Consul General Alan Gogbashian conferred the Royal Air Force sword to Group Captain Andrew Lloyd, a Royal Air Force Officer who served on exchange as deputy director of Logistics at the **Air Force Sustainment Center**. The U.S. Air Force Sword was presented to Capt. Katie Broyles by **Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr.**, commander of **Air Force Materiel Command**, recognizing her outstanding service while on exchange at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom.
“We get to recognize these officers for their contributions to each of our forces and our nations,” Bunch said, presiding officer at the event. “But, we also get to continue to celebrate the relationship with a great allied partner. This partnership goes back to World War I when we actually learned a lot from you (the RAF) that helped shape many of the things we’ve worked to grow, develop and evolve today.”
Originally established in 2009 by the Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation, the award is presented annually to the RAF officer on exchange with the U.S. Air Force who has contributed the most in the previous year to relations between the two nations and their respective air forces. In 2012, another Sword was added to recognize the most outstanding U.S. officer on exchange with the RAF.
The original RAF sword, of which the recipient receives a miniature replica, resides in the British Embassy and bears the inscription, “Oh, thus be it ever when freeman stall stand,” a line from the Star Spangled Banner. The U.S. Air Force counterpart is inscribed with Winston Churchill’s quote, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few,” and is on display in the Pentagon.
“This event serves to highlight the shared aviation heritage of the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force by honoring the two top active-duty exchange officers from the U.S. and the UK whose contributions during 2020 most reflect the values that our veterans, and the Foundation, share: service, excellence, integrity and courage,” said retired **Maj. Gen. Fred Roggero**, RAF Museum American Foundation chairman. “(The recipients) personify the spirit and purpose of the exchange program and (have) strengthened the ties between our two nations and the shared role in building our allies’ strategic capacity.”
Leveraging experience gained through work in RAF life cycle sustainment program management, during his U.S. tour, Lloyd developed and executed high-level strategic product support plans that helped to align systems development between the U.S. Government, the Air Force and multiple other nations. His efforts significantly assisted a more contemporary and global execution of systems development across multiple geographically separated locations.
“As an officer from the world’s oldest independent Air Force, serving as an exchange in the world’s most powerful Air Force, and at the birth place of aviation, it has been a privilege to work to build connections,” said Lloyd, who was based at **Wright-Patterson Air Force Base**, Ohio for the duration of his exchange.
Broyles was posted to RAF Wyton as the Apollo Flight commander, 1st Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron, from 2018-2020. During her tour, she collaborated closely with the U.S. Air Force’s 693rd ISR Group to establish the first Training and Standards Section at the 1st ISR Wing. She also developed a 10-year Wing structure and development plan for the Wing’s fusion capability, with her recommendations directly contributing to the final proposal delivered to the RAF Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance Force commander.
The award represents the ongoing strategic cooperation between the U.S. and RAF.
“We’re much stronger when partnering and working together,” Bunch said. “It’s a partnership and alliance that we need to continue to grow and celebrate.”
For more information about the Royal Air Force Museum American Foundation and their programs, visit **https://www.rafmaf.com/**.AFWN 



USAF 



AF 



Air Force 



Royal Air Force 



Air Force Materiel Command 



AFMC 



exchange officers 



Sword of Honor 



National Museum of the U.S. Air Force 



Air Force Sustainment Center 



1st ISR Wing Featured News
        Senior Leader Priorities
                SecAF Kendall visits Bangor ANG Base
                    
                    Vice President Harris congratulates USAFA Class of ‘24
                    
                    Senate confirms Melissa Dalton as next Under Secretary of the Air Force
                    
                    ‘One Team, One Fight’: SecAF visits Keesler AFB
                    
                    SecAF Kendall experiences VISTA of future flight test at Edwards AFBInnovation
                AFSFC reaches final phase of fielding Model Defender gear
                    
                    Around the Air Force: PCS Allowances, Air Task Forces, All-Volunteer Force
                    
                    AFIMSC focuses I-WEPTAC topics on GPC solutions
                    
                    Optimizing AI, Air University hosts Artificial Intelligence Symposium
                    
                    AFIMSC tools deliver data-driven solutions across DAFMAJCOM News
                AFMC to expand AcqDemo workforce
                    
                    AFMC empowers small businesses for Air Force reoptimization
                    
                    Acquisition Instructor Course Class 25A open for nominations
                    
                    Air Guard leaders host 2024 Wing Leader Conference
                    
                    Referral bonuses aim to help fill mission-critical vacancies
 Quick Links
AccessibilityContact UsEqual OpportunityFOIA | Privacy | Section 508Information QualityInspector GeneralJAG Court-Martial DocketLink DisclaimerNo FEAR ActOpen GovernmentOSI Tip LinePlain LanguageQuestionsResilienceRSSSite MapVeterans Crisis LineCareers
Join the Air ForceAir Force BenefitsAir Force CareersAir Force ReserveAir National GuardCivilian ServiceConnect
            Get Social with Us
            
            Official United States Air Force Website
    Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil