Publication:Sea Talk Spring 2005/Our new Chief of Navy says
In July this year I assumed command of the Navy, taking over from an old friend and esteemed Naval Officer, Vice Admiral Chris Ritchie.
It is a great honour and a privilege to lead the 13,000 dedicated professionals who wear our uniform. I am immensely proud of Navy's ability to complete any task put before us, which is reflected in our distinguished record of achievement advancing Australia's interests around the globe.
As this is my first opportunity to communicate with you through the medium of Sea Talk, I would like to tell you a little about where I have come from and where I hope to take the Navy in the course of the next three years.
Hailing from the country town of Ararat in Victoria, I joined the Navy in 1967 as a Cadet Midshipman at the Royal Australian Naval College at HMAS Creswell. My younger brother Rick also joined the Navy and is currently the Commander of Navy's Submarine Group.
It has been my great fortune to have had a long, rewarding and interesting career. I have received training and education in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Postings at sea and ashore have included sea commands of PNGS Samarai, HMAS Sydney, HMAS Darwin during the first Gulf War, and HMAS Perth. In more recent times, I have served as Commodore Flotillas, Head of the Defence Personnel Executive, the inaugural Director-General of Coastwatch, and upon promotion to Vice Admiral in 2002, I was appointed as Vice Chief of the Defence Force and Chief of Joint Operations.
Supporting me tirelessly throughout this interesting life has been my wife, Judy. We will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary in January next year and together we have three grown up daughters.
Having closely observed the superb performance of Navy's deployed forces in many operational theatres during my last job as Chief of Joint Operations, I have no doubt that the Navy is in great shape. As Chief of Navy, my main focus, which will drive my energies, is to highlight Navy's operational capabilities and to ensure that we remain well postured to face future challenges. The Australian people expect and deserve nothing less.
The way I see it, there are two key pillars which are necessary to achieve this aim. Firstly, I want to emphasise my total commitment to the Sea Change personnel initiatives which will provide our people with greater certainty, stability and job satisfaction with their work and their home lives. Recruiting and retaining the right people will remain critical to Navy's operational capability, and maintaining momentum with these reforms has my highest priority.
The second key pillar which underpins Navy's operational capability is our equipment. Recent government decisions regarding our future force structure are very positive. However, there is much work to be done to ensure that the our new ships and aircraft are delivered on time and with the appropriate support and sustainment facilities that they require.
Initially, I intend to spend a lot of my time getting out to our ships and establishments to hear first hand the issues and matters which most concern you. I also recognise the important role of the wider Navy family, because I know that the encouragement and understanding of our families and friends is vital to the achievement of what we do. While I would hope that you know that your support and sacrifices have not gone unnoticed, I would like to make myself available to you to make your concerns known to me. To this end, my e-mail address is chiefofnavy@defence.gov.au.
As I said at the Change of Command ceremony when I was appointed to this position, I take on the responsibilities of this job with great pride and sense of duty, honed through more than 38 years of being part of a world class Navy. Together, we can continue to achieve extraordinary things and I look forward to your support as we face the future with confidence.
Chief of Navy VADM Russ Shalders speaks with Aviation Engineering Officer 723 Squadron LCDR Shaun Norman.
