Commanding Officer Armidale Class Patrol Boat Crew Ardent Three
Lieutenant Commander Steve Woodman, CSM RAN
Lieutenant Commander Steve Woodman CSM RAN, joined the RAN as an Adult Recruit in August 1977. Soon after completion of the Quarter Master Gunner course he successfully completed the Seacat Aimer Qualification course and had six successful Sea-cat firings at air targets from HMA Ships Yarra (III) and Torrens.
In January 1980 he entered the Clearance Diving Branch; during the ensuing years he worked his way through the ranks to Warrant Officer serving in all Australian Clearance Diving Teams. During this period he also served in the Special Air Service Regiment and has enjoyed postings in HMAS Sydney on two separate occasions, HMAS Yarra (IV) and had an exchange posting to Hawaii with the United States Navy.
After four years as a Warrant Officer Clearance Diver he transferred to the commissioned ranks in September 2002. Soon after commissioning he was striving towards his Bridge Warfare Certificate in HMAS Yarra (IV); a goal he achieved in 2004. LCDR Woodman went on to complete the Mine Warfare Officers course earning him the distinction of being the only Warrant Officer to come through the WO entry scheme, in the RAN, to attain the seaman specialisation Personal Qualification (PQ) and sub specialisation qualification as a Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Officer (MCDO).
Since this time, he has served as a United Nations (UN) Military Observer to the UN mission in Sudan, Kuwait Liaison Officer to Commander Task Force 158 Iraq, postings to HMA Ships Leeuwin and Melville and Commanding Officer Armidale Class Patrol Boat Crew Ardent Three in HMA Ships Wollongong and Launceston.
LCDR Woodman considers the highlights of his career to be the completion of SASR selection course in 1983, his posting as an instructor to the United States Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training and Evaluation Unit Hawaii, his tenure with the United Nations in Sudan and most importantly Command. LCDR Woodman now lives in Cairns with his wife Kerri of 29 years; they have two adult children, Cobi and Kalan, an English Bull Terrier, ‘Chopper’ and have a keen interest in Australian reptiles particularly pythons.
