Anzac’s jack of all trades

Able Seaman Rowan Fox believes a decade in the hospitality industry prepared him for a career in the Navy and the challenges he faces every day at sea in HMAS Anzac.

CAPTION: Able Seaman Maritime Logistics Support Operator Rowan Fox helps prepare meals in HMAS Anzac’s galley. Story by Lieutenant Geoff Long. Photo by Leading Seaman Thomas Sawtell.

Anzac is on deployment in South-East Asia and the Northeast Indian Ocean, Able Seaman Fox’s first deployment and an opportunity to prove himself as a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ member of the ship’s company.

He’s part of the Ship Medical Emergency Team (SMET), boosting the full-time medical department, as well as a line handler when the ship berths or leaves port.

But the role that gives him the most enjoyment is damage control, where the ship’s company trains and prepares for emergencies such as fire or flood.

“One of the things I like most about my Navy career is the diversity of roles,” Able Seaman Fox said.

“People laugh when I say damage control training is my favourite activity and, while it can be hard at times, in the end you form great bonds with your shipmates.”

Able Seaman Fox grew up in Adelaide, where he worked jobs including baking, fruit picking, in hospitality and even opening and running a tea shop.

He joined the Navy in 2018 at 30 and plans to continue to take on new challenges in his role as a maritime logistics support operator, including future training that will allow him to join the ship’s aviation support team.

“I love adventure and I need something that holds meaning,” he said.

“I love being part of a high-functioning team that strives for excellence and, for me, Navy ticks those boxes.”

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