Commanding Officer Australian Clearance Diving Team 4
Lieutenant Commander Chris Leece, RAN
Lieutenant Commander Chris Leece, RAN entered the Royal Australian Naval College as a graduate in March 1997. On completion of New Entry Officers Course he undertook Seaman Officer Application Course and served in HMA Ships Bendigo (II), Melbourne and finally Brisbane, where he was awarded his unrestricted Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.
Lieutenant Leece sought adventure and chose to specialise as a Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Officer. In late 2001 he completed the Clearance Diving Officers Course for which he received the Most Outstanding Student Award. After a short period working with the Army, he spent the majority of 2002 in HMAS Diamantina as the Diving Officer.
Seeking another challenge, Lieutenant Leece further specialised as a Principal Warfare Officer, completing the course in 2003 where he was awarded both the SYDNEY-EMDEN Prize and Sword of Excellence. Chris subsequently served as HMAS Melbourne’s Signals Communications Officer during an operational deployment to the Northern Arabian Gulf in support of OP CATALYST, before returning to the diving fold and AUSCDT ONE as the Operations Officer.
In 2005 he was selected as the Executive Officer of AUSCDT ONE, where he spent only a year prior to being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander and being posted to a staff position in the Operations Division of Maritime Headquarters in early 2006.
Lieutenant Commander Leece was selected for representational duties in early 2007, and spent the following two years on the Anti-Submarine Warfare exchange with the Royal Navy. Based in Portsmouth, Chris served as the Principal Warfare Officer (Underwater) in the Type 42 Destroyer HMS LIVERPOOL and then as the Operations Officer in the Type 23 Frigate HMS ST ALBANS.
On return to Australia Lieutenant Commander Leece honed his staff skills working in the Capability Development Group at Russell Offices before assuming command of Australian Clearance Diving Team 4 on 11 December 2009.
Lieutenant Commander Leece holds a Bachelors degree in Arts, is a keen surfer and a lover of all sports, in particular rugby. He is married to Linda and they have three children: Madelyn, Oliver and Joshua.
