The next episode in the ‘Leaders, Pioneers & Professionals’ webinar series will be with Air Commodore Dawn McCafferty, Commandant Air Cadets.
Born in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales, Dawn joined up at 19 years of age for a 4-year Short Service Commission as an Administrative Secretarial Officer and left the RAF in 2006 having completed 23 years.
Dawn enjoyed a varied career in the RAF which culminated in her appointment as the Group Captain Inspector of Recruiting for the RAF. On route to this hugely rewarding job, she undertook a wide range of management roles within the Service, including command of the Personnel Management Squadron at RAF Wittering, and the Administrative Wing at RAF Waddington. Dawn completed staff tours in Command Headquarters and in the MOD and was able to fly in a variety of RAF aircraft, including a low-level trip in a Jaguar on her 21st birthday and a flight in one of the Red Arrows to mark her departure from the Service.
McCafferty was appointed as Commandant Air Cadets in August 2012. Over the past 8 years Dawn has been an influential and inspiration figure to the direction of the organisation and she currently commands an organisation of 40,000 air cadets aged 12-19 across the UK and abroad and 15,000 adult volunteers. Dawn in her role as Commandant Air Cadets is also a Trustee of the Air League.
