Lieutenant Trevor Stecum
Lieutenant Trevor Stecum, RAN, has experienced the best of both worlds serving in the Navy, firstly as a Sailor from the ‘lower deck’ in one of the best categories in the Navy, that of a Gunnery Sailor or Quarter Master Gunner (QMG) as it was known in the early days and then finally, as a Commissioned Officer.
He originally joined the RAN in 1968 as a Junior Recruit at HMAS Leeuwin and has served in the following HMA Ships: Ardent (P87), Fremantle (II) (FCPB 203), Wollongong (ACPB 92), Childers (ACPB 93), Launceston (ACPB 94), Perth (II) (DDG 38), Brisbane (DDG 41), Sydney (FFG03), Tobruk (L50), Balikpapan (L126), Labuan (L128), Huon (M82), Norman (M84), Torpedo Recovery Vessel Trevally and Mine Sweeper Auxiliary Wallaroo. Shore establishments included HMAS Cerberus, Huon and Watson.
As a Senior Sailor and a member of the Boatswain Branch, Petty Officer Stecum embarked on what was thought to be, a difficult and long course in the black art of learning to navigate a ship at sea. He looked upon it firstly as a challenge, and secondly, as a way of opening up a whole new career path as a Senior Sailor in minor war vessels. In 1995 after successful completion of the seven week Small Ships Navigation Course conducted at the Navigation Faculty HMAS Watson, Petty Officer Stecum was posted as the Executive Officer on the Torpedo Recovery Vessel (TRV) Trevally which up until the late 1990s was crewed and operated by RAN personnel. For the next two and a half years thoroughly enjoying the posting, he set to work and totally dispelled the theory that navigation was indeed a black art. It was also during this period that he was awarded his Minor Fleet Unit Senior Sailors Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate. In late 2000 as a Chief Petty Officer, he took the next step in developing his navigation skills by completing the Intermediate Navigation Course at HMAS Watson. This course proved very valuable, as it provided the foundation for eventual selection for his first command. During 2003 Chief Petty Officer Stecum saw active service as the Chief Boatswain’s Mate in HMAS Sydney when she was deployed to the Persian Gulf during Operations Slipper, Falconer and the War in Iraq. Following promotion to Warrant Officer in 2004 he assumed Command as Officer-in-Charge of the Mine Sweeper Auxiliary Wallaroo. In 2006 he sat the Fleet Board at HMAS Watson and was awarded his Navigation Watchkeeping Certificate.
At the beginning of 2007, he was appointed as a commissioned officer in the rank of Lieutenant. This was then followed by a posting to Ardent Five Crew as the Executive Officer rotating between the Armidale Class Patrol Boats Childers, Wollongong and Launceston. During this period he was awarded his Bridge Warfare Certificate and primary qualification as a Seaman Officer. In late 2008 he was posted to the Mine Hunter Coastal HMAS Huon as the Navigating Officer followed by a further posting to HMAS Norman again as Navigating Officer.
LEUT Stecum assumed Command of HMAS Balikpapan in March 2010.
LEUT Stecum lives with his partner Linda and their son Thomas. He enjoys travelling, sailing and reading good books and is an avid epicurean and connoisseur of fine Australian wines.
