Touching The Sky By John Mair London, December 2001: At the very centre of the American political elite in the 'war against terrorism', General Colin Powell. Today, he's the Secretary of State, in the Gulf War a decade ago he was a military hero. A black American of West Indian heritage who has made it. In his landmark Labour Party conference speech this autumn, British Prime Minister Tony Blair called for a 'British Colin Powell '. Some think they have found him in Air Commodore David Case ,a black Briton, like Powell of West Indian heritage, the highest ranking non white in the British armed forces. Case himself is not so sure: "I am not keen on being referred to as the 'British Colin Powell'. He is a tremendous man who achieved major success in circumstances that are quite different to mine. He is an inspiration. I am just David Case. Someone who happens to have done reasonably well in his chosen profession". Britain is tough country. Especially for non white immigrants. The old institutions ­like royalty, the armed forces and the BBC-are the toughest nuts of all for tem to crack. Hierarchy and tradition rules and in the words of BBC Director General Greg Dyke the organisations are 'hideously white' Yet Guyanese born David Case has managed to penetrate most, if not all, the ceilings, glass or otherwise. Air Commodore Case is the highest ranking black man in the RAF. He could before that long be the first ever black Air Vice Marshal. The boy from Werk en Rust(Work and Rest) in Georgetown,Guyana has reached for the sky and very nearly touched it. But he does not forget either his origins or his colour: "Being Guyanese to me means being someone with Caribbean, slave, British, background with a strong focus on education. Being black has not been a major burden that I have carried around with me. However, since my youth I have been conscious of the stereotypes and recognized that being black is not easy." But those negative stereotypes have not held him back: "I am not aware of any advantages of being black in the military but then I am not sure that there are many in other fields of endeavour. The disadvantage in recent times, particularly since there has been significant press interest, has been the potential danger of being singled out for attention". .His glittering military career started in very modest circumstances. His mother, Enid, emigrated to England in 1955 then sent for her only son, David. the following year. Not that he has many recollections of Guyana(formerly British Guiana). He left at the tender age of five. "My memories of early childhood in Guyana, or BG, as it was referred to often by my mother and other relatives, is very dim, but not surprisingly so given my departure for England at an early age. A picture of me standing with a slate provided something of a setting. But I do remember arriving in Britain and the fact that it was, cold, dark and gloomy" .He does though remember much of Beckenham in Kent where they eventually settled. Enid Case applied herself as a seamstress and scrimped and saved for her only son to get the education she thought he deserved. She the classic first generation immigrant, he the beneficiary. Case recalls the lows: " (I was)Brought up in various parts of south London, for many years living in multiple occupancy accommodation was a fairly humble start but not out of the ordinary for many people. I did feel at home; I knew no different" Materially poor but spiritually strong. He attributes much of his current position to his mother's endeavour, her drive and the values she instilled: "Education, Christianity, discipline, manners, achievement, were always important. Hard work was expected and my mother gave an uncomplaining example. However, the ability to enjoy oneself was also imparted to me. The main influences on my life and career have not been from an abstract perspective of a Guyanese background but rather through the people who nurtured me and with whom I grew up". His big break was making the eleven plus cut to Beckenham grammar school. Once there , he was made Head Boy there and also found his niche in the ATC "Military aspirations came as a result of a growing interest in aircraft, and aviation more generally, which led to me joining my school's Air Training Corps squadron. The RAF attracted as an elite professional organization with lots of opportunities. I wanted to fly and was not daunted by the prospect. The RAF being the youngest and a highly technical Service has perhaps been more cosmopolitan in its intake and relaxed in its outlook" Then entry to the very same RAF. Firstly, he took off to Belfast in Northern Ireland to read aeronautical engineering at The Queen's University which he remembers fondly .Being a black man in Belfast then, as now, was a fairly unique experience: "It wasn't an issue. I suppose I was something of a novelty but I always had the feeling of being warmly welcomed in Northern Ireland." After Queen's Belfast, Cranwell, the RAF academy for their cream, where he emerged with the Sword of Honour as the best cadet of his year. Flying as a career option had been ruled out on the grounds of eyesight. Instead, he climbed the RAF engineering and management ladder through postings in Britain and Germany: "Engineering was not entirely a second choice as I had decided to read aeronautical engineering before I learned that I would be unable to fulfil my ambition of becoming a RAF pilot. It was my second choice of specialization within the Service and I have never looked back. "No ceilings, glass or otherwise, or special hurdles were placed in my way. The RAF prides itself on being an organization in which advancement is based on merit. I believe that the evidence of my achievement reflects this" Today he is based At RAF Innsworth in Gloucesershire and is the Director of Policy and Planning for the Force, responsible for aspects of welfare support for Servicemen and women or as he puts it "supporting our people". To him, his colour has been neutral in his rise up to the higher echelons : "I am not aware of having suffered any racism, overt or covert within the RAF. Of course, I don't know what people say or do behind my back but I have a feeling that I wouldn't be where I am now if this had been and continued to be a really major issue in the Service. Colour is not an issue, that I have been dragging around with me, nor has it been pushed in my face, either positively or negatively. Advancement here is on merit, and though I don't necessarily see myself as a role model for members of the black or ethnic communities, if my success reflects positively on them and on the RAF then that is a good thing" But away from the confines of military service, he recognises that 'institutional racism' exists although he doubts its extent: "It is a term that has gained rapid currency following use in particular tragic circumstances and it would be easy to use the term glibly. Who are they? There are racists about in this country and, of course, elsewhere. My experience within and without the RAF indicates that the majority of people in this country are not" David Case is married to Joan,a fellow Guyanese 'we met in south east london' with two children Timothy, aged 15, and Jonathan,13 and he is now waiting for the right moment to take them to his homeland which he has not seen for forty four years. But, although he now sees himself as 'British' his Guyanese roots still remain : 'I like cassava bread, chow mein and curry but I'm not too fond of the dry food which my mother used to tell me was good for me' The disapora-the Guyanese in the UK-recognised his signal achievement by presenting him with one of their inaugural High Commission Awards this autumn. His pride was evident, as was his dancing prowess to the steel band after the formal event finished. This immigrant may have made it, though not quite yet to the Colin Powell heights, but he still retains a sense of modesty and place "I hope there aren't any more David Cases, one is probably enough, but what I would say is that integrity is probably the most important characteristic. You must be true to yourself. Education, hard work, perseverance and many other factors are important, but you should always try to enjoy yourself because it will be good for you and for those around you. The RAF motto is Per Ardua ad Astra; through toil (or hardship) to the stars. I am delighted to have reached one-star rank. Further advancement, should that come, would be, as it always has been, on the basis of merit in competition with my counterparts. We shall see. What I do want to do, is keep enjoying life. Arguably, I need to keep my feet on the ground