Publication:Sea Talk Autumn 2005/Warrant Officer of the Navy on Ships' Warrant Officers

By the Warrant Officer of the Navy

WO-N David Turner

G'day

Well the beginning of the year has been and gone and my time was quickly consumed with the selection, training and posting of the Ships' Warrant Officers.

Toward the back end of last year, we advertised for expressions of interest from Warrant Officers who wished to serve as Ships' Warrant Officers. Each applicant was interviewed and a considered decision was taken as to which Warrant Officer would be placed in which specific Major Fleet Unit.

Those Warrant Officers that were selected were given the opportunity to update their skills in a training course that was specifically tailored to meet the requirements of serving as a Ships Warrant Officer. Those requirements have a focus on the systems and processes we use in our Navy to help manage our people and so, it was those systems and processes that received the bulk of the two weeks spent at the Sailors' Leadership and Management Facility in Garden Island, Sydney.

This course is considered to be a pilot course and will undergo further development before becoming the capstone of the Sailors' Leadership and Management continuum. I expect this will occur toward the back end of this year when we will also be looking to select another round of Ships' Warrant Officers.

Those Warrant Officers that were selected have joined their Ships or will join throughout 2005. They will play a key role in various Seachange initiatives that have been announced recently, particularly in those initiatives involving flexible crewing regimes of our major fleet units.

I personally believe the Ships' Warrant Officers to be a significant step forward in managing our people. We have some excellent people out there and the Ships Warrant Officers are another tool Command can rely on to ensure those people are managed in the best possible way.

Once again, take care and if you see me on my travels, say G'day.

David Turner

Warrant Officer of the Navy

email: WO.N@cbr.defence.gov.au