Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Maritime Logistics Chef Paul Bailey enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy on 31 January 2000 as a Recruit Cook from Western Australia, motivated by the opportunity to complete his apprenticeship while seeing the world.

“Being paid to travel while serving in the Navy sounded like the right choice for me,” he said.

His early career saw him posted to Cerberus Galley before joining HMAS Yarra as part of its commissioning crew, including a deployment to the Solomon Islands. These formative sea-going roles provided early exposure to operational life and team leadership in demanding environments. A subsequent posting to HMAS Gascoyne further strengthened his maritime experience and leadership capability.

A significant milestone followed with his role in the commissioning of HMAS Canberra, where he was responsible for establishing the catering capability for a large ship’s company, leading a team of 20 chefs prior to full galley operations.

“It felt like being thrown in the deep end,” CPO Bailey said. “It taught me resilience, adaptability and the importance of leadership during uncertainty.”

CPO Bailey later served ashore as a Career Manager in Sydney, where he balanced Navy capability requirements with the professional development and welfare needs of Maritime Logistics sailors across all ranks.

“It was one of the most rewarding and challenging roles I’ve undertaken,” he said.

More recently, he served as Divisional Chief Petty Officer for Syme Division at the Royal Australian Naval College, mentoring and shaping future officers through the New Entry Specialist Training course. 

His leadership approach has remained firmly people-focused throughout his career.

“Leadership is a two-way street. It’s about setting standards, being approachable and understanding the impact you have on your people.”

After 25 years of service, CPO Bailey reflected that the most enduring measure of success is not the platforms he has served on, but the people he has helped develop along the way.

“Knowing you’ve played a small role in shaping Navy’s future is something I take great pride in.”