Commanding Officer HMAS Waterhen
Commander Jason Sears, RAN
Born in Kempsey and educated in Tamworth, NSW, Commander Jason Sears, RAN joined the Navy in 1986 as part of the first entry into the Australian Defence Force Academy. He graduated in 1988 and was awarded an Honours Degree in History from in 1989. Following his specialist supply training in 1990, he joined HMAS Torrens and then HMAS Adelaide (II) as Deputy Supply Officer. From 1992-94 CMDR Sears served as Research Officer to the Chief of Navy in Canberra before undertaking fulltime PhD studies at . He was awarded his Doctorate in History in 1998.
From 1997-99 CMDR Sears was the Materiel Support Manager at HMAS Cairns before joining the newly built Anzac Class frigate, HMAS Arunta, in Victoria as Supply Officer. He home-ported the ship to WA and participated in RIMPAC exercises off Hawaii in 2000 and a North-East Asian deployment to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War in 2001. In October 2001 CMDR Sears was posted to the Defence Materiel Organisation where he worked as Sustainment Manager for the ANZAC frigates and participated in the development of alliance contracts with Tenix and to support the ships. In November 2003 CMDR Sears and his family moved to Washington DC, USA, where he served on the Naval Attaché staff as Staff Officer Supply and Training.
CMDR Sears returned to Australia in October 2005 to take up the position of Sustainment Manager at the Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving program office based at HMAS Waterhen. He was responsible for the logistic support of the Navy's clearance diving teams, hyperbaric facilities, six Mine Hunter Coastal (MHC) vessels and two Minesweeping vessels. A highlight of the posting was the negotiation of Performance-Based Contracts with Thales Australia to support the MHCs. In 2009 CMDR Sears returned to sea as Supply Officer of the amphibious ship, HMAS Kanimbla, which deployed six times in the year, the final deployment being in support of Operation PADANG ASSIST to provide disaster relief to earthquake victims in Sumatra.
CMDR Sears is married to Sonali, a lawyer, and they have two young boys, Alexander and William. His interests include football (the world game), swimming, tennis and gardening.
CMDR Sears assumed command of the Navy's centre of excellence for mine warfare, HMAS Waterhen, on 14 December 2009.
