The RAF Staff is currently headed by Air Commodore Phil Goodman MBE BSc RAF, who is both the Air Attaché and the Assistant Defence Attaché in Washington.

Air Commodore Phil Goodman joined the Royal Air Force in 1972 as a University Cadet and graduated from the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham, in 1975 with a BSc in Aeromechanical Engineering. After Initial Officer Training at RAF Cranwell, and Basic Navigator Training at RAF Finningley, he converted to the F4 Phantom in the Air Defence Role.

His first operational tour was on Number 19(Fighter) Squadron, RAF Wildenrath, and was followed by postgraduate flying training as a Qualified Weapons Instructor (QWI). On completion of the QWI Course, he remained on the Phantom Operational Conversion Unit, RAF Coningsby, as a QWI before embarking on an exchange tour with the United States Marine Corps, again flying the F4 Phantom (including carrier operations), in both the Air Defence and Air-to-Ground roles. In 1986, he returned to the United Kingdom, on promotion to Squadron Leader, to convert to the Tornado F3 as a Flight Commander on Number 29(Fighter) Squadron at RAF Coningsby.

During this tour, he became the first fast jet navigator to circumnavigate the globe (Exercise GOLDEN EAGLE) and was awarded the MBE in 1989. He then attended the Joint Services' Defence College, Greenwich, before posting to a staff appointment in Exercise Plans at Headquarters Strike Command, High Wycombe. In 1991, he was promoted to Wing Commander and moved to the Ministry of Defence (MOD), London, working in Operational Requirements responsible for the Tornado F3. Following this tour, he returned to flying duties as the Officer Commanding Number 25(Fighter) Squadron, RAF Leeming, on the Tornado F3.

He was promoted to Group Captain in 1997 and returned to the MOD in early 1998 as the Assistant Director in the Directorate of Air Operations responsible for Air Defence and Maritime operations. He was detached to Kuwait during this tour as the Detachment Commander at Ali Al Salem - Tornado GR1 commitment to Operation BOLTON. He attended the Higher Command and Staff Course prior to assuming command of RAF Coningsby, a Tornado F3 Station, in 2000.

During his Station Commander tour he was appointed an Aide-de-Camp to Her Majesty The Queen. Promoted to Air Commodore in September 2002, he assumed the post as Director Operations (Fixed Wing) and Chief of Staff within the Equipment Support (Air) area of the Defence Logistics Organisation. In 2004 he was again detached to the Gulf as the CAOC Director at Al Udeid, responsible for the planning and tasking of all Coalition air and space assets supporting Operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Horn of Africa. In 2005, Air Commodore Goodman was posted to the British Defence Staff at Washington DC as the Air Attaché and Assistant Defence Attaché 

Air Commodore Goodman is married to Rowena and has 2 daughters, Fiona (25) and Sarah (24), and a son Tom (18). His interests include all sports.