Divisional Officers HMAS Creswell
Cook Division
Lieutenant Kristy Wilson, RAN
LEUT Kristy Wilson, RAN was born in Nowra, NSW and completed her schooling at Nowra technology High School in 1999.
After finishing school, LEUT Wilson joined the RAN as a Seaman Officer and proceeded to the Royal Australian Naval College in January of 2000. After successful completion of the New Entry Officer Course and Phases One and Two of Seaman Officer Application Course, she then joined the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) to commence her degree studies.
Upon completion of her time at ADFA, LEUT Wilson completed her application training, now known as Junior Warfare Officer Application Course (JWAC), and continued to serve at sea and on operations until posting to HMAS Creswell last year.
Career highlights to date include commissioning HMAS Albany as the Executive Officer/Navigator in 2006, and deploying to Iraq in 2008, working in the Joint Task Force Headquarters for OPERATION CATALYST and SLIPPER.
LEUT Wilson enjoys good food and wine, and exercises mainly to allow herself to continue to enjoy good food and wine whenever she wants. She also enjoys reading, horse riding and playing with her dogs Charlie and Baxter.
LEUT Wilson posted as the Cook Divisional Officer in January 2009 and NEOC 42 will be her third Division.
Flinders Division
Lieutenant Amanda Folkes, RAN
LEUT Amanda Folkes, RAN was born and raised in Queensland until completion of her schooling at Brisbane State High School in 1999. In 2000, LEUT Folkes commenced study at the University of Queensland before joining the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 2001. Her first exposure to the RAN was at HMAS Creswell when she commenced New Entry Officer’s Course (NEOC) 24 as a Midshipman. She found her time at the college to be a rewarding experience and successfully graduated in June of 2001, having enjoyed an extended period of Sea Training Deployment in HMAS Darwin in the Soloman Islands.
In August 2001, LEUT Folkes was fortunate enough to be posted to the Landing Platform Amphibious HMAS Kanimbla during Kanimbla’s deployment to the Persian Gulf as a part of Operation Slipper. LEUT Folkes then attended the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) from 2002 to 2004, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in English and Management. In 2005 LEUT Folkes achieved her Navigation Watchkeeping Certificate in the Mine Hunter Coastal HMAS Yarra.
LEUT Folkes served in the Guided Missile Frigate HMAS Melbourne as an Officer of the Watch (OOW) from March 2006 until May 2008. LEUT Folkes takes pride in bring a Seaman Officer, a career she wishes to expand after her tenure at Creswell. LEUT Folkes was the Fleet Workforce Management Officer from May to December 2008, coordinating the short term employment for both Permanent and Reserve Navy Personnel in RAN Ships. This role involved the sourcing of personnel to conduct short periods of sea service, input in to the coordination of personnel movements within the Fleet and liaising with the Fleet Human Resource Manager in matters affecting Navy Personnel.
LEUT Folkes returned to the RANC in 2009, posted as the Divisional Officer to Flinders Division. LEUT Folkes is committed to passing out her second division of Junior Officers and will endeavour to ensure that NEOC 42 get as much out of the college as she has throughout her own career.
LEUT Folkes has a strong passion for sport and music, however most important to LEUT Folkes is her family. In July 2009, LEUT Folkes took maternity leave to give birth to her first child, Maelee.
Jervis Division
Lieutenant Thomas Doherty, RAN
Lieutenant Thomas Doherty was born in Gosford, NSW and was raised on the Central Coast. He completed his HSC at Corpus Christi College, Tuggerah in 1992.
LEUT Doherty joined the RAN in June 1993 as a Recruit Marine Technician (MT) in General Entry intake 100 at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria. He completed his MT training in 1994 and was subsequently posted to a fleet maintenance support organisation in HMAS Kuttabul at Garden Island, Sydney and then HMAS Brisbane shortly after. LEUT Doherty remained in Brisbane until January 2000 and whilst posted onboard he achieved his trade certificate, was a ship’s diver, member of the ship’s demolition team, achieved his machinery watch keeping certificate for the supervision and control of the boilers in the fire rooms and attained the rank of Leading Seaman.
LEUT Doherty was accepted for commissioned rank in the RAN in 1999 and conducted formal studies at in Melbourne commencing in 2000. He studied the first year of the advanced diploma of computer science and went on to complete a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) with first class honours in 2004. In 2005 he completed the Navy’s Marine Engineering Officer Application course in Cerberus and was awarded the Institute of Marine Engineers Award for Outstanding Performance on completion of this course.
On completion of he was posted to HMAS Stuart in May 2005 and attained his Marine Engineers Certificate of Competence in December 2006. On leaving Stuart in December 2006 LEUT Doherty worked as a project manager in ship repair at Garden Island, NSW and attained Certified Practising Project Manager (CPPM) status whilst in this role. LEUT Doherty was posted to HMAS Darwin as the Deputy Marine Engineer Officer (DMEO) in January 2008 and was awarded his Marine Engineer Officer Charge Qualification in July 2009. LEUT Doherty was posted to HMAS Creswell as the Jervis Divisional Officer in January 2010.
LEUT Doherty whilst in his seagoing positions has completed numerous South East Asian deployments, port visits around Australia, in the South Pacific, New Zealand and Hawaii. Career highlights of many include the RIMPAC (Hawaii) and South East Asian deployment in Stuart and performing the role in Darwin as a part of one of the best engineering departments in the Navy.
LEUT Doherty is married to Melissa and they have three sons; Jack, Harrison and William. He enjoys all sport but particularly rugby union and sailing and he hopes to be spending more time in the water and on the beach with his family and enjoying the local surrounds. LEUT Doherty is also a Member of The Institution of Engineers Australia and has completed both leadership and management and strategic courses ( and ) for Officers in the RAN.
NEOC 42 will be his first Division in the RAN College and he is looking forward to the challenge, experience and the opportunity to help train and mentor the RAN’s newest Officers.
Phillip Division
Lieutenant Angela Cooke, RAN
Lieutenant Angela Cooke was born and raised in North Queensland and completed her High School Certificate in 2000. After quickly learning that life in a standard nine to five job could be tedious and boring she found her way into the Royal Australian Navy as a Direct Entry Seaman Officer.
After completing NEOC 29 in 2003 LEUT Cooke commenced Seaman Officers Application Course in January of 2004. During this course she was lucky enough to conduct an exchange with the United States Navy onboard USS Fort McHenry and the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS McCampbell in South East Asia. In June 2006 she was awarded her Bridge Warfare Certificate whilst serving onboard the Anzac Class frigate HMAS Stuart during a Rim of the Pacific and South East Asian deployment.
After Officer of the Watch consolidation LEUT Cooke deployed on operations to the Middle East in 2008. Her position as Battle Watch Captain to Commander Task Force 158 saw her living onboard the Khawr Al Amaya oil terminal off the coast of Iraq. During this deployment she also served at United States Navy Central Command in Bahrain as the Coalition Battle Watch Captain to the Combined Force Maritime Component Commander conducting anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden.
After returning to Australia she posted to Headquarters Joint Operations Command as the Domestic and Regional Operations watch keeper, where she supported operations RESOLUTE, ASTUTE, ANODE and SUMATRA ASSIST. LEUT Cooke started at HMAS Creswell as the Phillip Divisional Officer in January 2010 and is very excited about the new and no doubt challenging role.
LEUT Cooke is married to Matthew and together they just bought their first home on the beautiful South Coast of NSW. She enjoys sailing, camping, hiking, working in her vegetable garden and running with her dog Gypsy.
Bass Division
Lieutenant Michael Paes, RAN
Lieutenant Michael Paes was born in Mumbai, India and was raised in Adelaide, South Australia. He completed his schooling at St Ignatius College in 1997.
LEUT Paes went on to complete a combined Bachelors of Laws/Bachelor of International Studies from Flinders University in 2002 and an Honours Degree in Arts (Asian Studies) from Adelaide University in 2003 stemming from his studies in Chinese, Mandarin. After admission to the Supreme Court in SA, he joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Direct Entry Legal Officer in 2004. Since then he has achieved postgraduate qualifications in Military Law from Melbourne University, Defence Studies from the University of NSW and a Masters in Law from . He has also completed and .
After his graduation from NEOC 30, he was posted to the role of the Personnel Legal Officer at HMAS Stirling, WA. This was followed by a posting to Systems Command in Canberra, where he assisted the Command Legal Office to provide legal support to . In 2007 he was posted to Navy Headquarters where he was involved in providing Navy input to major reforms of the Military Justice System. Just prior to his arrival at the RANC, he also spent some time as the Legal Adviser to the Commanding Officer of HMAS Kuttabul.
Career highlights include participation in EX SUMAN PROTECTOR in Malaysia in 2007 where he worked in a multinational environment under Singaporean command.
LEUT Paes is married to Kristen they have a son named Harry and a dog named Falcor. LEUT Paes enjoys reading with history, literature and philosophy making up the core of his library. You can often find him out along the beaches of Jervis Bay or in his study. His favourite sports are soccer and basketball. He also enjoys good wine and quality food.
LEUT Paes posted as the Bass Divisional Officer in January 2009 and NEOC 42 will be his 3rd Division.
