Please enable javascript to access the full functionality of this site

Air Commodore Dianne Turton

Air Commodore Dianne Turton, AM

Director General Intelligence Capability Integration, Defence Intelligence Group

Contact information

Biography

Air Commodore Dianne Turton is Director General Intelligence Capability Integration in the Defence Intelligence Group.

Air Commodore Turton was born in India and immigrated to Australia from Malaysia with her family in 1984. She joined the Royal Australian Air Force in 1989 and graduated from the Australian Defence Force Academy as a Distinguished Graduate in 1991.

She undertook an exchange to the University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyarta Indonesia, before posting to the ADF School of Languages as an Instructor. In 1992, she proceeded on posting as an Intelligence Officer to Maritime Patrol Group and then Air Lift Group working with the AP-3C and C130 aircraft at RAAF Edinburgh and RAAF Richmond. In 1997, she was posted as the Base Operations Officer to RAAF Pearce. On promotion to Squadron Leader in 2000, she was posted to Headquarters Air Command as an Air Planner, followed by a posting to Headquarters Australian Theatre as SO2 Target Intelligence. In 2004, she was posted to RAAF Edinburgh as the Senior Intelligence Officer, followed by a posting to Canungra as the Executive Officer of the Defence Intelligence Training Centre.

In 2008, Air Commodore Turton attended Australian Command and Staff Course. On graduation, she was posted to the Defence Signals Directorate as Director Military ISR, followed by a posting in 2011 to Air Force Headquarters as the Deputy Director International Engagement – Air Force. Between 2013-14 she was posted to the School of Postgraduate Studies leading the Air Force Promotions and Military Education Training Program team. In 2015, Air Commodore Turton posted to Headquarters Joint Operations Command as the Director Effects, Targeting and Network Analysis. Her team were awarded a CJOPS Gold Group Commendation for their service and achievement in support of Operation OKRA. In 2018, she attended the Defence Strategic Studies Course at the Australian Defence College, and on graduation was posted to Joint Capabilities Group as the Director Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.

In 2020, she was promoted to Air Commodore and was appointed the Director General Intelligence Capability Integration in the newly established Defence Intelligence Group. She is the first female Air Force Intelligence officer to achieve star rank.

Air Commodore Turton holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and a Masters Degree in Asian Studies from the University of New South Wales and is a graduate of the Stanford University AI and Big Data Programs. She is also a graduate of the Australian Federal Police College of Management. She has deployed to Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. She was made a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Queens' Birthday Awards for exceptional service to the ADF in the field of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.

Air Commodore Turton and her spouse have two children and two dogs. When not in uniform, she can be found on the family property just outside Canberra, working with their sheep, alpacas and horses.