Navy People: Meet Shaun Baldwin from Geelong
30 July 2010
Clifton Springs’ Shaun Baldwin was looking for travel, education and comradeship when he joined the Royal Australian Navy eight years ago and he has experienced all three by the shipload. He’s also been promoted to Lieutenant.
Shaun is now the Executive Officer aboard heavy landing craft HMAS Labuan and he’s sailing Indonesian waters as part of Pacific Partnership, an annual U.S. led humanitarian assistance mission.
Shaun graduated from Bellarine Secondary College in 1998 and began uni studies until the money ran out. He then worked in hospitality before he decided to join the Navy, and graduated as a Seaman Officer in 2005.
“A Seaman Officer means a navigation and seamanship specialist,” said Shaun. “We are also responsible for the running of the ship when the Captain is not on the bridge.”
This isn’t Shaun’s first overseas deployment. He also served aboard HMAS Warramunga in the Persian Gulf, and commanded the ship’s boarding parties as they searched oil-tankers and other ships for contraband. He’s also deployed to south-east Asia and the Pacific.
“The Middle East put all of my training into practice and it was a great experience,” said Shaun.
“I’ve had fantastic opportunities to experience things that I would never otherwise have seen. I’ve also made many good friends from other countries and I get to catch up with them whilst travelling in my leave periods!”
And he is continuing to travel on this current mission; heading to Indonesia, East Timor and Papua New Guinea. He is witnessing the medics’ work with his own eyes.
“I’ve seen first-hand the fantastic job that the joint medical teams have been doing – giving impoverished and disadvantaged people vital medical care that they would never otherwise have received.
But Shaun’s life on the ocean wave will soon be ending for a while. Next stop is a shore job in Sydney.
“I’ll be the Deputy Port Services Manager. It will be the centenary of the Navy celebrations and I will also be preparing myself for my Mine Clearance Diving Officer’s Course.”
Though he is currently based in Cairns, Shaun returns to Clifton Springs a few times a year and his family always follow his progress closely. “I always look forward to coming home to catch up. Hopefully I also get the chance to see the ‘Cats’ play at Kardinia Park.”
