Commanding Officer HMAS Creswell

Captain Brett Chandler, RAN

Captain Brett Chandler, RAN was born and raised in Sydney, Australia. In 1979, he joined the Royal Australian Naval College graduating with a degree in Chemistry and Oceanography from the University of New South Wales. After graduation, he served at sea in patrol boats, guided missile destroyers and frigates both in the Australian Navy and on exchange with the Canadian Navy. His time at sea has included many operations including Operation Desert Storm in the first Gulf War.

Captain Chandler is a specialist in Anti-Submarine Warfare and has instructed the United States Navy in Anti-Submarine Warfare, in San Diego; as well as grand strategy and history at the National Defense University in Washington DC. From 2004–2006 he commanded HMAS Kuttabul, then was posted as the Chief Staff Officer Operations in Navy Systems Command overseeing all shore naval establishments in Australia. In 2008, he was seconded for three years as a Senior Military Liaison Officer in the Department of Peacekeeping at the United Nations in New York, where he led an Integrated Operations Team conducting the planning of peacekeeping operations in Chad and Sudan.

He was appointed as Commanding Officer—HMAS Creswell and the Training Authority for Initial Training and Leadership Management in July 2011.

Captain Chandler is married to Lisa, a teacher, and has two teenage sons. He enjoys reading history as well as watching, and sometimes playing, soccer.