HMAS Watson

21/08/2026

21/08/2026

HMAS Watson held a Divisional Officer’s forum which organised experts to present on their field and impart knowledge and practical guidance on challenges managers and leaders will face.

Presenters from Defence Member and Family Support, Joint Military Policing Station Sydney, Directorate of Navy Culture, Joint Heath Command, and Watson HR Hub all came together to address and answer questions from Watson personnel.

A spectacular thank you to everyone involved, from our catering staff, presenters, and attendees. All are providing invaluable support to the future of Navy leaders.

04/08/2026

A round of applause to our newly promoted personnel! 👏

HMAS Watson has had the honour over the month of July of promoting 29 personnel, all of whom have exceeded expectations in service, courage, respect, integrity, and excellence.

A wide range of the Navy community was represented by promoted personnel; all promoted were at varying stages of their Navy journey, some just beginning their careers and others well established in their role. All had in common the ability and talent to demonstrate service values and deliver capability.

Well done and well deserved, thank you for your service! 🇦🇺

BZ

03/08/2026

Look what arrived at HMAS Watson this week - One Fleet.

27/07/2026

Navy’s Newest Warfighters ⚓️

A huge congratulations to the personnel of Maritime Warfare Officers Course 0016 and Combat Systems Operators Course 0096, both students and staff alike have shown outstanding dedication and excellence.

The responsibilities ahead are considerable, yet these graduates have proven they are more than ready. Through rigorous training, practical experience and commitment to excellence, all are equipped to meet the demands of modern naval operations.

BZ

19/07/2026

Commodore Training Honours and Awards 🏅

Commodore Training, Commodore Mitchell Livingstone, CSC, RAN, hosted a Townhall at HMAS Watson talking to his staff from Training Authority Maritime Warfare. Commodore Livingston also presented honours and awards for outstanding service, duty, and excellence.

Promotions ⚓️

Sub-Lieutenant to Lieutenant 📈

Bowen Zhang

Acting Sub-Lieutenant to Sub-Lieutenant 📈

Emily McMaster
Thomas Radnedge

🏆Commendation🏆

🥉Navy Bronze Commendation🥉

Mrs Ansilea Nagy

🥈ADF Silver Commendation 🥈

Sub-Lieutenant Christopher Blair

Afterwards Commodore Livingstone spoke of the importance of diligence and resilience of Naval personnel. Stating that the big changes happening within Defence present amazing opportunities and big responsibilities.

Congratulations to all personnel who received honours and awards, your dedication and diligence sets the golden standard for all Navy personnel.

BZ

03/07/2026

Congratulations to our Foreign Service Graduates! 🌍

HMAS Watson was privileged to host students from New Zealand, Phillipines, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka as part of the Maritime Warfare Officer’s Course and RNZN Basic Electronic Intelligence Course.

Course completion marks a significant career milestone for each and every student and their participation has strengthened Indo-Pacific partnerships and fostered enduring professional relationships. Through shared experience and exchange, the students have enhanced interoperability, broadened perspectives, and reinforced the trust essential for effective cooperations across navies!

25/06/2026

Honours and Awards 🎖️

HMAS Watson gathered to recognise the outstanding achievements and dedication of our personnel during a Honours and Awards ceremony supported by Commander of Support Force, Commodore Ben Favelle, CSC, RAN.

🏅Defence Long Service Medal🏅- 4th Clasp

Warrant Officer Craig Trudgian

🏅Defence Long Service Medal🏅- 3rd Clasp

Sub-Lieutenant Damien Cahill

🏅Defence Long Service Medal 🏅- 2nd Clasp

Petty Officer Graham Jones

Leading Seaman Malcom Johnson

🏅Defence Long Service Medal🏅-1st Clasp

Lieutenant Commander Sally Casey

🏅Defence Long Service Medal🏅

Lieutenant Commander Matthew Featherstone

Petty Officer Craig Perrin

🥇Navy Gold Commendation🥇

Petty Officer Liam Hurst

🎖️Navy Command Commendation🎖️

Chief Petty Officer Justin Macey

Petty Officer Paul Beamed

Congratulations to all award recipients, your efforts truely set the standard for following the values of the Royal Australian Navy, Service, Courage, Respect, Integrity, Excellence. ⚓️🎖️

BZ

02/06/2026

🌟Women in Maritime - HMAS Watson 🌟

On 27 May, the HMAS Watson Wardroom proudly hosted our inaugural Women in Maritime event, celebrating and highlighting women’s value and achievements across our maritime community. We were delighted to host representatives from Navy, Maritime Industry, Government, and Local community leaders.

We were honoured to hear from exceptional guest speakers which included:

- Deputy Fleet Commander, Commander Anita Williams, CSC, CSM, RAN

- Jacqui Hurst, NSW Port Authority

- Warrant Officer Zoe Mack, Directorate of Navy Culture

Each speaker delivered powerful insights from their own journeys, highlighting the importance of resilience, authenticity, and leading with purpose. Their stories sparked meaningful conversations and reminded us all of the strength found in diverse perspectives across the maritime environment. We are extremely thankful to have hosted such inspiring women.

Thank you for everyone who attended and contributed to making the afternoon such a success. Together, we continue to support, inspire, and empower the next generation of maritime leaders. ⚓️💪

17/03/2026

Recently, HMAS Watson participated in the Annual Fleet Run-Fleet-Run event @ HMAS Penguin and it’s safe to say we had some of the best of the Fleet representing us in this event.

MIDN Cassandra Heaslip was the overall winning female on the day and came in 2nd for her age group! Cassandra delivered an outstanding performance, putting in a strong showing across all disciplines and dominating the run legs of the event. 🏊‍♀️

CPO Bobbie Ashman also had an amazing performance- taking out 1st place in his age category. Bobbie also delivered a strong performance across all legs of the event, setting the pace early in the run, maintaining a solid swim, and finishing strong to secure the win in his division. 🏃

Their efforts, determination and competitive spirit were a fantastic representation of their commitment to service and to HMAS Watson. 💪

Events like this are a great opportunity to bring the Fleet together through sport and physical challenge- and it’s awesome to see Watson performing at such a high level. Please join us in congratulating all who competed and thanking HMAS Penguin for coordinating such a successful event!