Rob Spalton

I am a Teaching Fellow on the PBS@Cranwell team, delivering the Conceptual and Intellectual Development Programme at the Royal Air Force College.

I am a second-career academic who has been with the team since 2015. Previously, I was an Army Officer for 16 years and I have continued my military career as an Officer in the Army Reserve.

Biography

During my full time career I served as an Infantry officer with the Light Infantry and the Rifles.

I completed 6 operational tours, including time in Sierra Leone, Iraq and most recently in Afghanistan.

I served in a number of high-level staff posts including the Permanent Joint Headquarters and the Air Warfare School as well as membership of a Whitehall steering group looking at cross-government co-ordination.

I am currently serving as a staff officer in the Army Reserve with the Desert Rats.

Teaching Responsibilities

In the teaching role, I have responsibility for several teaching groups, delivering lectures, seminars, tutorials and individual tuition across a wide of courses from Level 4 to Level 7 on topics ranging from historical strategic thought to the contemporary employment of air power. I have taken on additional demanding responsibilities as Academic Course Manager for the Basic Air Warfare Course and for Trenchard Flight, a course delivering bespoke remedial and development training, as well as being the assistant departmental co-ordinator for assessment and moderation.

Research Interests

Although employed primarily as a Teaching Fellow, I have sought to develop a broad and dynamic research portfolio. I recently planned, co-ordinated and delivered a conference on Contemporary Security Challenges for an MOD-wide audience. My teaching and research draw on significant military experience to enable the delivery of a practitioner’s perspective on the complexities of contemporary security challenges and strategic thought.