Navy People: Amy Ryan
26 July 2010
A love of diving and fitness has led Grafton’s Amy Ryan to combine her interests with her qualifications.
Now an Information Systems specialist in the Navy, the 28-year-old Leading Seaman works with the Navy clearance divers, the Navy’s SAS, and gets plenty of chances to go diving herself.
The South Grafton High School graduate joined the Navy in 2000 and, after serving on a number of warships, she gained her own ship’s divers’ qualification. Amy then opted to support the full-time clearance divers.
“I really enjoy diving and keeping fit,” Amy said. “I like being able to challenge myself.”
Currently, Amy is deployed in Hawaii for Exercise RIMPAC 2010. It’s the largest maritime exercise in the Pacific, and Amy’s specialist job is to provide the clearance team’s radio and IT support.
The Navy divers are also working closely with divers from other nations including the Canadians and the United States.
“My job is primarily based at the headquarters,” Amy said. “I issue radios to all three forces and am responsible for all communication during a twelve-hour shift
Although the tropical crystal blue water, mountains and palm trees are certainly something out of a travel brochure, it’s also a chance for Amy to get in a few dives herself and maintain her fitness.
Amy and her team are based at Hickam Air Force Base, adjacent to Pearl Harbor, and surrounded by significant World War 2 history.
Amy was fortunate to have a tour of historic USS Missouri, the highly decorated warship that fought in the Pacific theatre during World War 2, right up to Operation Desert Storm in the 1990s. Amy also got to dive around this museum ship.
“I was able to see the four propellers,” she said. “It was about 28metres underneath the surface. It was really amazing.”
“I’ve also had the opportunity to go out diving in Shark Cove and observe sea turtles.”
Amy is enjoying working with people from the various nations. ‘They love the way we talk!” Amy said.
Exercise RIMPAC is the ADF largest international maritime exercise, conducted in the area surrounding Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. It is designed to test interoperability with 14 Pacific Rim nations, including the United States, South Korea, Indonesia and Canada. Approximately 1200 ADF personnel will be participating in the exercise which will run through to the 1st August 2010.
