Navy People: Navy medic on a mission
17 September 2010
Inspired by his father’s story of Navy camaraderie, Penrith local Bradley Clarke joined the Royal Australian Navy as a medic in 2005.
Now he is en route to the Middle East on his first operational mission.
He and his shipmates aboard Navy frigate HMAS Melbourne will soon be on anti-pirate patrol off the Horn of Africa.
Bradley first heard about the Navy when his father Geoffrey told him of when he was a paramedic with Careflight in Sydney. Geoffrey had picked up a sailor who was injured at sea, and who was accompanied by a Navy Doctor.
Bradley’s father was very impressed by the dedication shown that day by the doctor who refused to leave his sailor’s side. This story left a lasting impression on Bradley and after recruiting representatives visited Jamison High School, he was sold on joining the Navy.
Bradley has now progressed to Advanced Medical Assistant, with the rank of Able Seaman. He already has a wide range of skills which allow him to respond to health emergencies as well as deal with day-to-day minor injuries and illnesses.
This is not Bradley’s first overseas deployment. He sailed with HMAS Kanimbla in late 2009 to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts after the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java were struck by an earthquake.
This Middle East deployment will be for six months. He and his shipmates will provide essential naval support to coalition maritime security operations and counter-terrorism in the Middle East.
Bradley will certainly be seeing the parts of the world people rarely go to when they are on holiday. However, his priorities when the ship returns to Sydney in the New Year are to come home to Penrith to catch up with his parents and brother Brendan.
blog comments powered by Disqus
