Group Captain Gary Darby joined the RAF in 1989 as a non-commissioned Military Policeman, serving in Germany, Cyprus, Northern Ireland and the Falkland Islands. Darby commissioned as a Provost Officer in 2000, serving both in the UK and deployed on operations to Oman (forward into Pakistan/Afghanistan immediately after the 9/11 attacks), again to Afghanistan, Iraq and Turkey. During his early years as a commissioned officer he qualified as a detective with Kent Constabulary, Sexual Offences Investigator with Lancashire Constabulary and Senior Investigating Officer (SIO) with Avon & Somerset Constabulary, ultimately commanding the RAF's Specialist Investigations Branch as the SIO in charge. In 2006 he moved to the Defence Security Standards Organization, a cyber orientated post that saw him appointed as the team leader for all major aircraft platform and weapon systems accreditation, working closely with industry/GCHQ designing in security to new equipment. In 2009, Darby completed his 2 year MSc in Security and Risk Management with Leicester University and in 2011 he was promoted to Wing Commander. Following tours as Head of Business Resilience & Security for the UK's Service & Veterans Personnel Agency and 'in-command' of No 1 Police Wing, with some 800 personnel under command, Darby attended the UK's Advanced Command and Staff Course, Shrivenham. Following this, he was appointed to be the senior staff officer Cyber strategic targeteer within Military Strategic Effects, MoD London. In 2017, Darby was promoted to Group Captain and took appointment as the RAF's Principle Security Advisor at HQ Air Command, responsible to the Air Force 4* Board for all matters security and counter intelligence. In September 2018, Darby took post as the UK's Senior Military Officer to the US for Cyber embedded in the strategic planning and multi-national liaison team at US Cyber Command; notably as the innovator and project lead for a multi-national Defensive cyber collaboration. Darby took up appointment in Nov 2020 as Deputy Director Strategic Campaigning Counter Russia within the MoD in London. Finally, in Feb 2022 Darby was appointed Head of the UK Defence's Joint C-UAS Office, a new position and rapidly growing team.

A keen paddleboard instructor, budding amateur chef and charity trustee, Darby is a current MBA degree student with Staffordshire University focusing on C-UAS military/business capability development.