Greg Elliott was a fighter pilot with the RNZAF for 20 years, including as an exchange instructor at the RAF Tactical Weapons Unit, and later Commander RNZAF Training Group. He led NZ's summer deployment to Afghanistan in 2009, and was Senior National Officer to US HQ CENTCOM 2010-11. On leaving the military, he held a senior interagency appointment at the Australian Civil-Military Centre, before joining staff at the Australian War College as a NZ representative. He has an MA (Strategic Studies) and MPhil with distinction.