The Medmenham Association

Air Commodore Thornber was born in 1965, educated at Arnold School Blackpool, gained a BSc in Zoology at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and was commissioned into the Royal Air Force in 1986.

In his early career, he had tours in strategic imagery analysis, tactical reconnaissance, intelligence-collection management, instructing, on exchange with the USAF, contingency planning, and in an outer office. His operational experience spans tours in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey supporting air and land ops at tactical and joint operational level, with some experience in the Defence Crisis Management Organisation. On promotion to wing commander in 2001, he became Military Assistant to Director General Intelligence Collection and then attended Advanced Command and Staff Course, where he gained an MA in War Studies from Kings College London.

He commanded Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing, before returning briefly to ACSC as Directing Staff. Promoted to group captain in 2007, he was appointed as Director of the US/UK inter-Agency Joint Narcotics Analysis Centre, and then deployed in 2009 as Deputy Director Intelligence for the ISAF Joint Command as it stood up in Kabul. In 2010, he returned to command the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre, becoming Director Defence Geospatial Intelligence Fusion Centre in 2012, and moving the unit to RAF Wyton in 2013. He was appointed CBE in 2014. He moved to Supreme HQ Allied Powers Europe as Head of Knowledge Management for Allied Command Operations until 2015 when, promoted to air commodore, he took up the post of Assistant Chief of Staff Joint Intelligence at the Permanent Joint HQ Northwood. In 2016, he was posted to US Central Command as Deputy Director for Intelligence Operations.

Air Commodore Thornber enjoys sub-aqua diving, flying, skiing, and natural history. He is President of the RAF Archery Society. He is married to Jennetta and they have 2 university-age children, Beckett and Alex.