Bairsto became Station Commander RAF Akrotiri and Commander of the Western Sovereign Base Area, Cyprus in 2005,[1] AOC No.

83 Expeditionary Air Group at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar in 2006[2] and Officer Commanding No 125 Expeditionary Air Wing as well as Air Officer Scotland and Station Commander, RAF Leuchars in 2007.

[3] He went on to be Head of International Policy and Planning (Military) at the Ministry of Defence in 2009 before retiring in 2013.

[4][5] After retiring from the RAF, became Global Head of Business, Resilience at National Grid plc and then Chief Executive of Street Works UK, a cross-sector trade association.

[6] Bairsto was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours.