Flight Lieutenant Kevin Holmes
Kev was born in Bournemouth and studied Anglo-American History at the University of East Anglia, University of Cologne and University of Texas, graduating in 2000.
He joined the RAF in April 2001 and completed Initial Officer Training at RAFC Cranwell before beginning Elementary Flying Training in 2002, attached to Yorkshire UAS and flying the Grob Tutor.
Upon completion of his Multi-Engine Flying Training he was posted to the C130K at RAF Lyneham as a co-pilot on 47 Sqn. During his co-pilot tour he deployed multiple times to the Falkland Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq and was selected for 47( SF) Flight.
Following his conversion to C130K captaincy in 2009, he served a brief spell on LXX Sqn before returning to 47( SF) Flight where he remained until the retirement of the C130K in October 2013.
In 2014 he was selected for an exchange role with the United States Air Force Special Operations Command. He converted onto the MC-130H Talon II and flew with the 15th Special Operations Squadron, based at Hurlburt Field, Florida. During his time with the 15th he completed multiple operational tours in the Middle East, took part in humanitarian aid missions and flew numerous operational airdrops.
Kev returned to the UK in 2019 and transitioned onto the C130J. After his OCU he was once again posted to 47 Sqn. During his final tour on the C130 Force, he again deployed multiple times and took part in numerous humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations in Turkey, Sudan and Gaza.
Following the retirement of the C130J from RAF service in 2023, Kev was posted to the A400M Force. He completed the Atlas OCU with 24 Sqn in 2025 and was posted to LXX Sqn, where he had spent his first few months as a Captain back in 2009.
Outside of work, Kev is a dedicated football fan that follows Tottenham Hotspur home and away. He enjoys listening to classic rock music and is a keen – albeit limited – guitarist. Kev still enjoys studying 20th Century history and leads Battlefield Tours for RAF personnel as a secondary duty. He lives in the Cotswolds with his wife Katie, their daughter and their cat.