Navy People: Sailing the Pacific on the USS Cleveland
23 August 2011
Novocastrian and former student of St Francis Xavier College, Vincent Malone back home after sailing the Pacific on the USS Cleveland.
Vincent, 25, joined the Royal Australian Navy in 2005 as a Marine Technician but in 2008 felt he needed a change and retrained to become a Navy medic.
He is now a qualified advanced medical assistant. His day to day work includes making provisional diagnoses, taking blood, giving immunisations, taking care of wounds and in an emergency, providing life support.
Most recently Vincent was using his medical skills in the Pacific Islands as a member of the Pacific Partnership 2011, an annual humanitarian program that aims to strengthen alliances and promotes multilateral cooperation.
It 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 training.
Vincent was working in remote villages in the countries of Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, giving medical aid to people who don't often have access to proper medical care.
“When we were in Vanuatu, I was helping a little girl with a wound. The next day her father gave me a gift of fruit to show his thanks," Vincent said.
"It felt really good to be able to help out these people."
