Publication:Sea Talk Summer 2008/Who’s the next Warrant Officer of the Navy?

By LCDR Antony Underwood

As this edition of SeaTalk went to press, WOCIS Mark Tandy was preparing to take over as the 6th Warrant Officer of the Navy, the most senior sailor in the RAN.

He was due to take over from WO James Levay, on December 19.

“The feeling of being Warrant Officer of the Navy-desig is fantastic,” he said. “It’s a great honour and privilege and I am really looking forward to working with the Chief of Navy on any issue he wants me to address.”.

WO Tandy was born in WA and educated in Tennant Creek and Darwin.

He joined the Navy as a radio operator in 1982 and has served as a communications operator/supervisor in a wide range of establishments and ships.

Shore postings have included HMA Ships Albatross, Coonawarra, Harman and Cerberus and Recruiting in Townsville.

Sea postings have included HMA Ships Jervis Bay, Canberra (II), Cessnock (II), Warrnambool, Dubbo (II), Success and a short time in Vampire.

As a , WO Tandy instructed in radio frequency management at the Communications School. In his current rank, WO Tandy has:

• Been at the Naval Communications Area Master Station Australia (NAVCAMSUS) during the second Gulf War;
• Instructed at the Naval College on the Chiefs’ Leadership and Development Program;
• Had a four-month exchange in Exercise LongLook as lead instructor in a command and training course at HMS Collingwood;
• Completed the single-service component of the Command and Staff course at Weston Creek and completed his research paper for a Masters in Maritime Studies; and
• Been OIC of the submarine and seaman categories cell in the Directorate of Sailors’ Career Management.

WO Tandy says his appointment as Warrant Officer of the Navy – normally for two years with the option of a third - will be his third posting to Canberra in his 26 years with the RAN.

“I’m really looking forward to getting out and selling CN’s vision and future direction to the workforce,” he said. “It’s likely to mean quite a lot of travel,”

WO Tandy said the job is really twofold

“As well as being an advocate for senior command to sailors, I’m also looking to provide feedback to CN and senior management in the form of solicited and unsolicited views of sailors,” he said.