Deputy Chief of Air Force Air Vice-Marshal Christopher Spence

Air Vice-Marshal Spence was born in Sydney in 1951 and joined the Royal Australian Air Force Academy at Point Cook, Victoria in 1969, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree. After completing pilot training in 1974, Air Vice-Marshal Spence was posted to fly Iroquois helicopters with No. 5 Squadron, at RAAF Base Fairbairn. Four years of operational flying included disaster relief operations throughout Australia (including Cyclone Tracy), deployments to Papua New Guinea and a six-month tour with the United Nations Emergency Force II, based in Ismailia, Egypt.

In 1979, Air Vice-Marshal Spence completed flying instruction training and was posted to No. 2 Flying Training School to instruct on Macchi jet trainers and in 1980, was posted to Central Flying School to train flying instructors.

Air Vice-Marshal Spence undertook an exchange posting with the Royal Air Force's Central Flying School in 1981, during which he flew a Vampire aircraft with the RAF's Vintage Pair Display Team.

On return to Australia in 1984, Air Vice-Marshal Spence attended RAAF Staff College and was posted as a staff officer within the Air Force personnel branch.

In 1987, Air Vice-Marshal Spence assumed command of No. 35 Squadron, based at RAAF Base Townsville, flying both Iroquois helicopters and Caribou tactical transport aircraft.

Following Exercise Kangaroo 89, he returned to Canberra on posting and completed a conversion to the Pilatus PC9 training aircraft, prior to his posting to the position of Staff Officer to the Chief of the Air Staff.

1991 saw Air Vice-Marshal Spence posted to the United States Air Force Air University in Montgomery, Alabama. Upon completion of the Air War College Course, he returned to Australia and assumed the position of Staff Officer Air Operations, a part of the Joint Operations Staff at Headquarters Australian Defence Force.

In 1994, Air Vice-Marshal Spence was promoted to Group Captain and posted to the newly formed Logistics Systems Agency at Headquarters Logistics Command, Melbourne as Director Logistics Development.

He assumed command of No. 86 Wing, flying C130 Hercules aircraft, in 1995. Two years later, he was promoted to Air Commodore and posted to the position of Chief of Staff, Support Command Australia.

Air Vice-Marshal Spence was posted to the position of Commander Training - Air Force at Headquarters Training Command on 6 March 2000. He was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal and assumed his present appointment as Deputy Chief of Air Force on 18 June 2001.

Air Vice-Marshal Spence was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia on Australia Day, 1998. He is married to Lucille, an art teacher, and has two children, Angus and Hannah.