Navy People: Broadening Horizons
12 August 2011
Hobart local, Alison Nolan was looking to broaden her horizons when she decided to join the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Looking for adventure and the chance to travel Alison, joined the RAN in 2006 after working in a call centre and taking care of children in an after school care facility.
Alison, now aged 27, joined as a Writer, the branch of the Navy which is responsible for clerical work in the day-to-day administration of the Navy.
In her five years as a sailor she has worked at Fleet Headquarters, Defence Plaza, HMAS Kanimbla and HMAS Watson.
"I currently work in the Personnel Office where we maintain personnel records, facilitate office administration and process promotions," Alison said. "But I also love being at sea where my job becomes much more diverse.
“I can be part of the flight deck team, the ship's medical emergency team, standing sea fire team and take part line handling for seamanship evolutions."
Now her horizons are being broadened through her deployment with Pacific Partnership 2011 onboard USS Cleveland, an amphibious transport dock ship.
Pacific Partnership is an annual Humanitarian Civic Assistance (HCA) program which aims to strengthen alliances and to promote multilateral security cooperation.
Pacific Partnership is now in its seventh year, and partner nations continue their mission to improve the lives of people in the Pacific region, as well as improve the capacities of nations and organisations to respond to disasters through recurring opportunities for cooperation and training.
During this deployment Alison has supported the Australian Contingent onboard Cleveland as the mission visited the Kingdom of Tonga, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and the Federated States of Micronesia.
Alison has also lent a hand to the mission ashore, taking time out from her administration duties to participate in community service activities, including playing sport with local teams and painting some of the newly constructed public buildings.
"It was great to be able to help out with the painting of the Town Hall in Tonga," Alison recalls. "It really made me feel a part of mission."
When Alison returns to Australia, she plans to visit her parents Merilyn and Michael in Hobart.
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