Flight Lieutenant Ian Cameron Rennie BSc AIMechE MRIN FRSA – 7644 Squadron
Flight Lieutenant Rennie was a talented and committed Reserve officer with considerable operational and engagement support experience. Having previously served in the Royal Engineers (TA) in the 1980s and 90s, he joined 7644 Sqn in 2011. He came from a strategic policy background as a senior advisor for BP with experience in crisis communications. He applied these impressive PR skills as a Media Operations officer on a number of deployments to Afghanistan and Eastern Europe.
Cameron’s initial operational experience was on Op HERRICK in 2012 and 2014 where he proved himself a dynamic and dependable Media Ops officer. His work was especially appreciated by the commander of the RAF’s 904 Expeditionary Air Wing, based at Kandahar Airfield, who counted ‘Cameron’ among his most trusted officers. Flt Lt Rennie finished his tour with a (83 EAG) Commander’s Commendation. He applied the experiences he had gained in Afghanistan to other RAF operations, including two highly successful Baltic Air Policing tours in Estonia on Op AZOTIZE in 2015 and 2016. The first saw him shaping defence engagement while working closely with the British Defence Attaché, diplomatic staff and Nato Allied Air Command. On his second tour he provided specialist media support to 140 EAW. He subsequently built upon this work with a deployment to Romania on Op BILOXI in 2017. This operational work earned him the Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire’s Best Reservist Award in 2016.
Cameron lent his academic and industry knowledge to tri-service project teams considering future global threats and sat on a number of consultative groups for the development of RAF projects such as RAF100; punching far above his rank. He felt ‘at home’ in the RAF and was comfortable engaging with ranks at all levels. He was very proud that his father and grandfather had also served in the air force, particularly as his grandfather had been in it on 1 April 1918.
He was a highly regarded officer with a cheerful disposition, engaging personality and creative mind who consistently delivered on operations and UK-based tasks. He nurtured the junior airmen and women on his flight, was a source of strength to his fellow junior officers with his compassion and advice and gave loyal support to 7644 Squadron. He will be fondly remembered and sadly missed.
Air Commodore Bradshaw, ACOS Media and Communications, said: “Flt Lt Cameron Rennie was a committed, highly capable, talented and experienced member of 7644 Sqn whose contribution both at home and on overseas operations was enormous”.
Cameron will also be remembered by those who had the privilege to work with him as a kind, generous individual who always made time to offer advice or support and to mentor his less experienced colleagues. In that sense, he leaves a lasting legacy across the whole RAF media community. Cameron will be sorely missed and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. Cameron’s wife, Agneta, and the rest of his family added: “Cameron was a larger than life character who really enjoyed his life and his time in the RAF. We are devastated he left us so early”.