I am currently a part-time PhD candidate at the National Security College, Australian National University. I am also a serving officer in the Royal Australian Navy, currently posted as the Australian Naval Attache to the United States, based in the Australian Embassy in Washington DC. During my 34 year naval career I have been fortunate enough to command two ships, HMAS Stuart and HMAS Sydney, and also serve as the Director of the Sea Power Centre - Australia - the Navy’s “think tank”.

I entered the Royal Australian Naval College at Jervis Bay in 1984 and transferred to the inaugural graduating year of the Australian Defence Force Academy when it opened in 1986. I have deployed to Iraq twice and led the military response to the search for the missing Malaysian Airliner, MH370.