Among the navys elite - Scotch College

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Among the navy’s elite

PETER STEEL (’84)

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A young lad, fresh out of Scotch and aged just 16, joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1983 and headed west to become a junior recruit at the HMAS Leeuwin base at Fremantle, WA.

Leeuwin was a tough school, and life was not easy for young Brian Schlegel (’84) as a raw recruit far from home, but he came through there as well as many other rigorous tests over the years. He now commands HMAS Darwin, one of four RAN guided missile frigates, the most powerful fighting systems in the defence force.

Brian is arguably the highest achievingmilitary serviceman from the modern generation of Old Boys.Commanding HMAS Darwin is an achievement that places him among the elite of the navy, and of the Australian Defence Force.

While at Leeuwin, Brian was in line to be chosen for training as a midshipman, but the government ended the training scheme in the year he would have become eligible. So he spent the first six years of his engagement as a radar plotter, reaching the rank of leading seaman. Then in 1989 his opportunity came again, and Brian was selected for officer training in 1990.

His training progressed through the 1990s, including a unique seven months on board the Chilean sail training ship Esmeralda. He became an officer of the watch, then a lieutenant, navigating the patrol boat Fremantle, before progressing to be second in command of the patrol boat Warrnambool.

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From 2000 to 2002, Brian experienced his first operational tours, as navigator of the guided missile frigate HMAS Newcastle. He was involved in Operation STABILISE (in East Timor), TREK and DORSAL (in the Solomon Islands). Promoted to lieutenant commander, Brian navigated the landing ship HMAS Tobruk, which conducted amphibious operations during RELEX II (border protection) and BELISI II (in Bougainville).He distinguished himself as an outstanding navigator, developing a reputation for leadership and an absolute commitment to the welfare of the sailors in his charge.

Further specialist training as a principal warfare officer (a most challengingmake-or-break course of study) resulted in him joining the Sea Training Group asFleet Navigator.In this difficult and demanding role he was a keymember of the elite team which trained and assessed the warships of the fleet, as theyworked up their skills in every area of ship and submarine warfare, including preparing ships for deployment to the Arabian Gulf.

Next he was posted as second in command of the Anzac class frigate HMAS Stuart, serving in the south-west and central Pacific and South-East Asia. Promoted to commander, Brian spent 2008 and 2009 working in the Australian Defence Force Joint Operation Command Headquarters as the Staff Officer for Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Response.

This remarkably broad spectrum of responsibilities saw him involved in planning and managing crucial aspects of operations in evacuating civilians from Lebanon, border protection, UN truce supervision in the Middle East, observing and monitoring security in the Sinai, and the UN mission in Sudan.From 2009 he joined the Maritime Operations Branch as Deputy Director, responsible for much of the day-to-day management of the fleet.

Enjoying the trust of the navy’s senior commanders, last December Brian was selected to assume command of HMAS Darwin.Command of these ships is not entrusted lightly. The responsibility is tremendous, and only the very best officers in the navy areconsidered for the position.

In the Royal Australian Navy, command of a seagoing warship is arguably the most coveted role to which a young man can aspire, and the Scotch Family is proud to claim Commander Brian Schlegel as an illustrious Old Boy.