Navy People: Meet David Franzel from Reynella, Adelaide

14 July 2010

Reynella’s David Franzel has just won a job that could take him anywhere. The recent graduate of the Royal Australian Naval College is about to launch a career as a Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer with the Royal Australian Navy.

David already had a Bachelor of Software Engineering from Flinders University, and he has now completed five months of officer training at HMAS Creswell, next to NSW’s Jervis Bay. The course gives all new officers the basic qualifications and experience they will need as junior leaders and managers.

As part of his training, David covered many different areas of study including, leadership training, communication, seamanship and boat work, fire-fighting and ship damage control, Royal Australian Navy ships, weapons and technology, fitness training, basic weapons handling and parade and ceremonial.

“The activity I enjoyed the most was the trip down to HMAS Cerberus, located at the Mornington Peninsula, for small arms training,” David said.

“Our training involved various types of leadership exercises where we learnt how to lead groups of people and use our own leadership style to complete goals.”

David’s future role will include management and maintenance of warships’ electrical combat systems including weapons systems, communications, fire control and combat data.

“I am really looking forward to learning more onboard RAN ships and one day I would like to run a Weapons Electrical department on a major warship.

“I am also looking forward to the travel that come with working in the Navy. Onboard a Navy ship is a unique way to experience travel, both around Australia and the world.”

David is originally from South Africa, moving here in December, 1999. He attended high school at Woodcroft College. David was also a member of the South Coast Soccer Club and Reynella Tennis Club.