| Melvin Ernest Glanville Hupfeld | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 March 1962 |
| Place of birth | Sydney, New South Wales |
| Allegiance |
 Australia |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Australian Air Force |
| Years of service | 1980 – |
| Rank | Air Vice Marshal |
| Commands held |
Air Commander Australia Air Combat Group RAAF No. 81 Wing RAAF No. 75 Squadron RAAF |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Cross Bronze Star (United States) |
Air Vice Marshal Melvin Ernest Glanville "Mel" Hupfeld DSC (b. 7 March 1962) is a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, currently serving as Air Commander Australia.
Early life and career[]
Hupfeld was born in Sydney, New South Wales on 7 March 1962, and joined the Royal Australian Air Force as an Officer Cadet in 1980.[1] He finished his training in 1983, won the 'Flying Prize' and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree.
During Hupfeld's career he has flown the Dassault Mirage III and McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet flying mainly with No. 3 Squadron RAAF.
Hupfeld was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross on 27 November 2003 for his command of No. 75 Squadron RAAF during Operation Falconer, and the squadron was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation.
Hupfeld has commanded several RAAF units during his career, he has commanded No. 75 Squadron RAAF, No. 2 Operational Conversion Unit RAAF, No. 81 Wing RAAF, and Air Combat Group RAAF. Hupfeld was promoted to the rank of Air Vice Marshal and appointed as the Air Commander Australia on 3 February 2012.
Personal life[]
Hupfeld is married to Louise. His interests include cycling, running, fishing, light aircraft, hang-gliding and sailing.
Honours, awards and qualifications[]
|
Distinguished Service Cross | 27 November 2003[2] |
|
Australian Active Service Medal | with 2 Clasps |
|
Iraq Medal | |
|
Australian Service Medal | with 1 Clasp |
|
Defence Force Service Medal with 3 clasps | 30–34 years service |
|
Australian Defence Medal | |
|
Bronze Star | (United States) |
| Meritorious Unit Citation | Awarded to No. 75 Squadron RAAF for Operation FALCONER. |
Qualifications;
- Bachelor of Science degree (1983)
- Master of Arts in Defence Studies, Kings College London (1997)
References[]
- ↑ "Air Vice-Marshals (A-K)". Air Marshals of the RAAF. RAAF Air Power Development Centre. http://airpower.airforce.gov.au/Contents/About-APDC/About-APDC/Office-of-Air-Force-History/Air-Marshals-of-the-RAAF/135/Air-Vice-Marshals-A-K.aspx. Retrieved 11 June 2012.
- ↑ Its an Honour Distinguished Service Cross retrieved 6 June 2012
External links[]
The original article can be found at Mel Hupfeld and the edit history here.