Navy People: A Commanding Position
28 July 2010
Last month, Sydney resident John Stavridis took command of HMAS Arunta, a warship that makes up the frontline of Australia’s naval defence.
A Commander in the Royal Australian Navy, John has had his eye on the Captain’s chair for some time. “I always wanted to join the Navy and with a family history of naval service it only seemed natural. My parents were very supportive of my unique career choice and twenty three years later I have never looked back.”
CMDR Stavridis was born in Sydney and is the son of Iordanis and Kaliopi who emigrated to Australia from the islands of Lemnos and Samos in the 1960s. He joined the Navy in 1988 straight out of secondary schooling at Sydney’s Trinity Grammar School. From there he attended the Australian Defence Force Academy (in Canberra) where he graduated with honours in 1991. Following navigation training he specialised as a maritime warfare officer and served in a number of ships which saw him travel the world. “I have been to a lot of places with the Navy; Asia, the Americas, the Pacific and the Middle East, although I am still waiting for the opportunity to take my ship to Europe and one day hopefully Greece.” Asked about his favourite shore posting so far, Commander Stavridis said “I have been fortunate enough to have had postings in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Perth. My most memorable was the year I spent in Singapore completing my Command and Staff Course.”
Commander Stavridis considers the Royal Australian Navy an employer of choice: “I could not think a better employer in Australia today” remarks this 41 year old. “It is the range of job opportunities, adventure, posting localities, job security and world-class training that make this career so rewarding.” In fact Commander Stavridis sees the number of diverse jobs available in the one career that makes the Navy so appealing. He also believes the Navy’s commitment to continued education as a key initiative in maintaining its workforce. “The Navy prides itself on the quality of its people and takes an active interest in their continued professional education. As an example the Navy has encouraged me to undertake, and sponsored me through, two masters’ degrees.”
Commander Stavridis cannot say with certainty whether he is the first Australian of Greek heritage to Command an Australian warship. “What I am certain of is that there are a number of Greek-Australians in the Navy today filling a variety of important positions and serving their country with pride.” Asked whether he saw any conflict between his cultural background and service in the Navy, Commander Stavridis said that “the Navy is very supportive and accepting of my cultural heritage and I personally hold close the Greek customs, language and traditions. My faith is also important to me and the Navy is also very supportive of that.”
HMAS Arunta is based in Perth, WA and will be deploying to Darwin and South-East Asia in August to partake in multi-national naval exercises. Those seeking a challenging, rewarding and unique career in the Royal Australian Navy should contact the Defence Recruiting Centre on 13 19 01.
