He served as Deputy Commander in Chief, Allied Forces Central Europe from 1992 to 1996.
Stear was educated at Monkton Combe School in Somerset where he gained his private pilot's licence, and began his National Service in 1957.
Awarded the Queen's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air in 1969, Stear began a three-year period of service in the United States Air Force as part of an officer exchange programme later that year.
[citation needed] Stear was promoted to group captain on 1 July 1979,[9] and in 1980 returned to Germany as Officer Commanding RAF Gütersloh.
[10] In 1982 he became Assistant Chief of Staff (Operations), HQ Second Allied Tactical Air Force and, with the advent of the Falklands War, posted as Air Commodore Plans, HQ Strike Command.
[19] Stear retired from the RAF on 11 October 1996,[20] and on the same day was commissioned into the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training Branch) as a flying officer for a period of four years.