Brigadier Steve Hussey

Brigadier Steve Hussey was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1991 and on completion of Young Officer training served in Northern Ireland as a Troop Commander on exchange with the Army. It was here that he gained an interest in flying and on completion of his Troop Command tour he volunteered for flying duties joining 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron as a pilot. After 3 years frontline, he qualified as a military Helicopter Instructor serving at Middle Wallop initially teaching on the Army Pilots’ course and upon promotion to Major stepped in to command the Army’s Operational Conversion Squadron. During his time on frontline flying duties he served on all of the Royal Navy’s ‘Junglie’ Squadrons and has had the privilege of commanding 847 Naval Air Squadron, 845 Naval Air Squadron, the Joint Helicopter Force in Iraq and the UK’s Special Forces Air Wing in Afghanistan. His front-line time culminated as the Commanding Officer of the Commando Helicopter Force between 2018 and 2020, where he oversaw the introduction of Merlin Mk4 into service. He has deployed on operations to Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia. For his operational work he was appointed MBE in 2007 and awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in 2009. Away from the cockpit, his ‘staff’ appointments have included: as a Major in HQRM, working for the Chief of Staff (Personnel) he held the pen for the Royal Marines manpower strategy, and thereafter was responsible for the design and development of Junior Officers’ Command and Staff Training. As a Lieutenant Colonel, he worked in the Ministry of Defence for the Director General of the Military Aviation Authority responsible for scrutinising Centre strategy, resources and plans during the implementation phase of the Haddon-Cave Report. As a Colonel he was appointed as Chief of Staff to the Commandant General of the Royal Marines, which saw him concurrently perform the role of Chief of Staff for the European Union’s Counter-Piracy operation off the coast of Somalia. After HCSC he worked in Army Headquarters as an Assistant Head responsible for the delivery of Battlefield Helicopter major programmes. Having completed his command tour of the Commando Helicopter Force, he returned to Army HQ in January 2020 as Head of Capability Air Manoeuvre. He is a graduate of the Advanced Command and Staff Course, gaining an MA in Defence Studies, has completed the CIPD’s Advanced Diploma in Human Resource Management, attended the Higher Command and Staff Course and is a member of the Major Projects’ Leadership Academy at the Oxford Saïd Business School. Brigadier Steve is married and has 2 teenage sons. An enthusiastic but not excelling sportsman, with contact sports coming to an end, he now focuses on ‘middle-aged’ fitness training, and infrequent downhill skiing while also being ‘duty driver’ supporting his sons’ sporting endeavours.