Gordon Moulds Air Commodore Gordon Moulds , CBE is a Senior Royal Air Force Officer who recently finished a tour as Commander of Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan . Military career . Air Commodore Gordon Moulds joined the Royal Air Force in 1978 and trained as an Air Electronic Operator on Nimrod aircraft in the Maritime role . He served his first operational tour at RAF Kinloss as a sergeant where he participated in a number of operations , most notably flying from Ascension Island in support of the Falkland Islands ’ campaign . In 1983 , he undertook navigator training and was posted to No . 111 Squadron RAF , RAF Leuchars , to operate the Air Defence F - 4 Phantom II fighter aircraft . During this period he conducted numerous Quick Reaction Alert sorties ( policing the United Kingdom airspace ) where he intercepted over 30 Russian aircraft . In 1988 he became an air defence fast - jet instructor and was posted on to No 228 OCU , the Phantom Operational Conversion Unit ; during this tour he was awarded the MBE . During his time on Phantom aircraft he completed 7 detachments to the Falkland Islands . On promotion to Squadron Leader he became the aircraft accident Board of Inquiry advisor for Headquarters 11 Group at RAF Bentley Priory . In 1993 , he converted on to the Tornado F3 fighter aircraft and became the Executive Officer of the Tornado F3 Operational Training Unit . On promotion to Wing Commander , he became the Deputy Combined Force Air Component Commander in Turkey , occasionally commanding the allied air forces operation policing the Iraqi no - fly zones . A short tour followed in the Ministry of Defence as the desk officer responsible for advising ministers on air matters relating to the Middle East . In 1998 he became Officer Commanding Operations Wing at RAF Leuchars . Another short tour followed in the Ministry of Defence , this time as the Personal Staff Officer to the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff . On promotion , he was posted to Headquarters 1 Group , Strike Command , as Group Captain Tornado where he was responsible for all operational , training and second customer issues for the Tornado F3 , Tornado GR4 and Hawk aircraft . Commandant Air Cadets . In June 2004 he assumed the post of Chief of Staff / Air Commander in the Falkland Islands . Returning to the UK , he became Commandant Air Cadets on promotion to Air Commodore on 13 October 2006 , replacing Air Commodore David Harrison . Since becoming Commandant Air Cadets , he visited many units and Squadrons , and was extremely impressed with the efforts being made by the volunteer staff and the subsequent results for the cadets of those Squadrons , in particular those units that have been able to provide sustained levels of high achievement across the broad range of activities that the ACO provides . The first Squadron visited by the Air Commodore in his new role was No 110 ( City of York ) Squadron , by coincidence his most recent visit to a Squadron was also to a Yorkshire based unit , on that occasion at the invitation of Baroness Gibson of Market Rasen in her capacity as a member of the Air Cadet Council and Honorary President of No 2168 ( Yeadon ) Squadron . The Commandant Air Cadets also visited the Swynnerton camp , run by Staffordshire Wing , on several occasions and was very impressed by the activities and commitment from staff and cadets . Air Commodore Moulds instigated a number of wide ranging initiatives in the Air Cadet Organisation and introduced a Strategic Plan for the next ten years . Amongst these initiatives are : - The development of Regional Activity Centres providing weekend activities with advanced technology flight simulators and equipment alongside air experience flying or gliding ; The introduction of a “ Cadet CV ” to collate the records of activities of individual cadets and provide evidence to future employers ; An updating of the syllabus to relate to 21st century teenagers and bringing in web based training packages ; The continued roll out of Project BADER named after Group Captain Douglas Bader bringing a Corps wide IT system of communication , information and training . Air Commodore Moulds handed over command of the ACO to Air Commodore Ian Stewart in May 2008 . Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands . Air Commodore Moulds became Commander British Forces South Atlantic Islands on 14 June 2008 . He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE ) in the 2009 Birthday Honours . He was replaced by Commodore Phillip Thicknesse in December 2009 . Commander Kandahar Airfield , Afghanistan . It was announced in March 2010 that Air Commodore Moulds was to become Commander Kandahar Airfield taking up the post in May 2010 . He handed over command to Brigadier General Jeffrey Kendall of the United States Air Force in November 2010 .