Navy People: Heading home from piracy patrol
20 October 2009
Wagga Wagga's Brendan Thomas, 28, is heading home after six months of pirate patrol off the Horn of Africa. He and his 180 shipmates aboard HMAS Stuart will finally be stepping ashore in Australia towards the end of the month.
When the Wagga Wagga Technology High School joined the Navy back in July 2000 he decided to specialise as an Officers' Steward.
“My initial training was held at the School of Catering at HMAS Cerberus in Melbourne,” said Brendan. “I now hold a Certificate 3 in Food and Beverage Supervision.
“I know that if the Officers are happy they can concentrate on their day-to-day work without worrying about the little things.”
Brendan’s mates at Lake Albert Hockey Club, Kooringal Scouts and Wagga High School Cross Country Running Club would be surprised to hear that he has already travelled to the Solomon Islands, the Northern Arabian Gulf, New Zealand, Christmas Island (twice), Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, and Fiji.
And there’s a lot more to Brendan’s job than making sure the officers don’t go hungry.
“Every third day aboard Stuart I am also a crane driver for the ship’s two rigid-hulled inflatable boats. I’m part of the Special Sea Duty Men to bring the ship in and out of port, and I am also part of the Ship's Medical Emergency Team.”
“I enjoy my job because I love working in the hospitality industry. I also love that each day is different, it's not the same every day,” he said.
“This deployment has been challenging especially with the heat, but it's also been a great way to gain lots of valuable experience in my current role, which will be helpful later on in life,” Brendan said.
“The money and travel are another reason why I enjoy my job. I would never have been able to see half the places I have been to if I wasn’t in the Navy.”
“My parents have been very supportive with emails and care packages since I've been away so I'll be going home to Wagga to see them, and I am also planning to go overseas to the United States for a month to see my sister and my niece and nephew,” he said. “Plus, I plan to use the extra money that we have earned up here to place a deposit on my own house.”
