Commanding Officer NHQ Tasmania
Commander Steven Bliss, RAN
Commander Steve Bliss, RAN joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1974 as a Junior Recruit at HMAS Leeuwin in Western Australia. In 1975 he completed the Underwater Control course and was posted to Her Majesty’s Australian Ship Torrens. During this posting he completed the SCUBA Air Diver’s course and in 1977 was posted to HMAS Albatross as the diving equipment maintainer. After an 18 month period ashore he returned to sea aboard HMAS Swan (III).
In December 1980 he completed Clearance Diver training and served in numerous clearance diving positions in the Sydney area. In January 1990 he transferred to the commissioned ranks after reaching the rank of Chief Petty Officer Clearance Diver. He commenced Seaman Officer training in HMA Ships Swan and Success and saw operational service in the Persian Gulf during the 1990/1991 first Gulf War. In January 1991 he was promoted to Lieutenant, and after completing his training onboard Success, he served as the Executive Officer in HMAS Betano 1992/1994.
In 1995, LEUT Bliss was posted as second in command of the RAN Diving School at HMAS Penguin where he assisted in the development and introduction of the Clearance Diver Acceptance Test; an initiative to reduce the high failure rates of students undergoing Clearance Diving training. During his tenure at the Diving School he completed the Mine Warfare Officers course.
In December 1996 he assumed duties as the Executive Officer Australian Clearance Diving Team Four, participating in several international exercises. In 1997 he was selected for United Nations duties as an inspector for Weapons of Mass Destruction. In January 1998 he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander and later that year was selected for a Royal Navy exchange position. In March 1999 he was appointed as Executive Officer of Her Majesty’s Ship Sandown, a Single Role Mine Hunter based in Faslane, Scotland. During this period, he became the first Royal Australian Navy Clearance Diver to successfully complete the Royal Navy 60 metre Clearance Diving Breathing Apparatus Helium diving course. During his exchange with the Royal Navy, he saw operational service in the Kosovo campaign and later, a five-month deployment to the Mediterranean as part of On Call Force 27, a multi national, rapid response task force. He remained in Sandown until July 2001.
On return to Australia in late August of 2001, LCDR Bliss assumed duties as Staff Officer Policy and Development for the Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Group at HMAS Waterhen 2001/2003. During his tenure he influenced the introduction of new equipment, capabilities and technologies to the Royal Australian Navy’s Clearance Diving Force Element Group, which proved instrumental during the Iraq War - Operation Iraqi Freedom. Additionally, he introduced robotic systems and enhanced protective equipment for EOD technicians throughout the Navy and was later awarded a Chief of Navy commendation as a result of these initiatives.
In December 2003 LCDR Bliss assumed Command of Australian Clearance Diving Team Four where he focused on reconstituting the team with equipment and war fighting skills post Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In December 2005, on completion of his tenure as Commanding Officer, he was selected for duties in Iraq as the Officer in Charge of the United States led, Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Training Team under the Command of Combined Joint Task Force Troy. During his eight-month tour, he was instrumental in establishing mobile training teams throughout Iraq, which improved the efficiency of training delivered to coalition forces throughout the country. This initiative was recognised by US Command and he was selected to deliver C-IED training to US Army instructors at Fort Riley, Kansas, in order to better prepare US Soldiers deploying to Iraq.
In October 2006 he returned to Australia taking up the position as deputy to the Commander Mine Clearance Diving Task Group at Fleet Headquarters. In April 2007 he was awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal for outstanding meritorious service for his role as the Officer in Charge of the US C-IED Training Team.
In July 2007, he was promoted to Commander and appointed as Staff Officer Development to the Australian Defence Force Counter Improvised Device Task Force in Canberra where he remained until December 2009. He now assumes command of Navy Headquarters Tasmania.
CMDR Steve Bliss moved to Tasmania in December 2005. He is married to Jenny and has three children Victoria 15, Alasdair 11 and Rory 9 who currently live on their cattle farm in Kettering. His interests include farming, fitness, reading, diving and golf.
