Colonel Paul Morris

Colonel Paul Morris was commissioned into the Royal Marines in 1986 and on completion of training was appointed to 45 Commando as a Troop Commander, deploying to Norway, the Mediterranean and Canada. Awarded his pilot’s wings in 1989, he subsequently joined 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron, flying Gazelles in the reconnaissance role. He commanded at flight level and was the Squadron’s Operations Officer prior to graduating from the Central Flying School in 1993 as a military helicopter instructor. Morris commanded a flight at the School of Army Aviation and attended the Junior Division of the Staff College, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, in 1995. Operational tours have included service in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Sierra Leone and Iraq. As the Principle Operational Officer of the Commando Helicopter Force (CHF) he helped plan and coordinate the aviation assault onto the Al Faw Peninsular during the initial stages of the second Gulf War. He was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service in the Operation TELIC Honours List. In 2003, post conversion to the Lynx helicopter, Morris was selected to command 847 Naval Air Squadron, an appointment he held for two years. As Chief of Staff at CHF, he was the Senior Maritime Aviation Advisor during the initial stages of Operation ELLAMY, which saw the first Attack Helicopter strike missions into LIBYA in 2011. More recently he served as the Deputy Commander of the Combined Joint Special Operations Task Force (Syria), coordinating elements of US Special Operations Forces in Syria as part of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. Staff appointments have included time with the Joint Helicopter Command, MOD Main Building within equipment capability, and Navy Command Headquarters as SO1 Air Manoeuvre. He attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC) in 2009, achieving a diploma in leadership and management and a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from Kings College London. In 2012 he was posted to the UK’s Defence Academy where he held appointments as the Chief of Staff for the Higher Command and Staff Course and Directing Staff on the ACSC. On promotion to Colonel, in April 2018, he took up his current appointment as Assistant Head (Plans) Air Manoeuvre Capability within Army Headquarters.