Navy People:Lisarow Local Serving In The Middle East

14 May 2007

Lisarow's Daniel Hurst is now half a world away on patrol in the Persian Gulf. The 23 year old former Lisarow High School student and Pirates Baseball Club player joined the Royal Australian Navy 5 years ago as an Electronics Technician.

Able Seaman Hurst and his 180 shipmates onboard Navy frigate HMAS Toowoomba provide an ongoing contribution to the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Iraq. This includes the important work of protecting Iraq 's offshore export oil terminals and monitoring, intercepting and boarding vessels suspected of illegally trafficking cargo that diverts funds from the Iraqi economy.

Daniel is part of a team responsible for maintenance on the main Weapons systems in HMAS Toowoomba, which include a Vertical Launch Missile system, Missile Decoys and Torpedos. In addition to maintenance of the weapons systems, Daniel is also a member of a Boarding Team, "in which we actively support the economic future of Iraq by providing security checks of suspect vessels in the area," says Daniel.

"I honestly couldn't imagine a better job to have as a 23 year old. The Navy has given me a trade and paid me well to travel the world and work on some of the most advanced weaponry available. We do work pretty hard, but I have met some great people and made friends for life, and that to me is worth every second," said Daniel. Daniel says "another good thing about the Navy is that you are constantly learning new things about your job, be it system knowledge, management or leadership skills, and there is always the fact that if you work hard and apply yourself, you will progress through the ranks and be promoted. From my 5 years, the Navy can throw a new challenge every day, and half the fun is figuring them out."

Daniel and his shipmates will be back home in July after a 6 month deployment.