Navy People: The Navy's for me
8 October 2010
Kiama man Paul Hines is now 49 and the father of three children, but he still talks about the impact that local teacher Don Nash had on him.
“Don was on the staff at Kiama High School and he was also an ex-Navy medic,” said Paul. “He kept saying the Navy’s for me!
“He must have been right because now I’m a Lieutenant Commander at HMAS Albatross just down the coast. It’s the main base for the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm.
“It’s the nearest I’ve been to Kiama since I signed up as a 15-year-old schoolboy!” said Paul. “I’ve been away so long my parents John and Iris have already retired.”
“The last 30 years have taken me round the world and to just about every major port.
“I’ve also been involved in border protection, first in the old Fremantle class patrol boats. Now I am due to take command of an Armidale Class patrol boat in Jun 2011.
“More recently I’ve been part of Operation Outreach [among indigenous Australians] as the Commanding Officer of landing craft HMAS Balikpapan. My job was to drop off stores at very remote communities in the Top End.
“But, if I’ve learnt one thing, it’s that we might get the medals, but it’s the wives that deserve them.
“My wife Deborah has had to move many times, I have always regretted leaving her as a sole parent to our two boys and daughter all the times I’ve been away.
“Even though the Defence support is available, it was still hard at times for Deb and the kids, new schools and places of work especially for my wife, now a Sonographer with IRG in Shellharbour.
Defence communities stick together and help each other. We have met many new friends and those friends have always rallied round wherever we have been, particularly our good friends since moving back to Kiama, Michael and Karen Deen."
But Paul has no plans to hang up his uniform just yet. “I joined for the career and could have retired long before now. As it is, I’m now working out how to stay in as long as possible!”
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