Lieutenant Commander Kimberley Healy is celebrating a significant personal milestone while deployed as part of the Sea Combat Command in Battleship Row at Pearl Harbor – 20 years in the Royal Australian Navy.
The anniversary coincided with Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), where Lieutenant Commander Healy is one of more than 300 Australians taking part in the biennial international military exercise scheduled by Commander US Pacific Fleet.
Lieutenant Commander Healy celebrated the milestone, together with the US Independence Day holiday, with friends and colleagues from New Zealand and the US.
“It’s great to see familiar faces and reconnect after years apart,” Lieutenant Commander Healy said.
“In some ways if feels like no time at all has passed, we just picked up where we left off.”
It is Lieutenant Commander Healy’s second RIMPAC. The principal warfare officer was at RIMPAC 2016, serving on HMAS Ballarat.
“Being on an international exercise on the day I celebrate my 20th anniversary in the Navy reaffirms my decision to join,” she said.
“I never thought I would be here 20 years later with still so much yet to experience. The old adage was ‘Join the Navy, see the world’ and, for me, this has absolutely rung true.
“I reflect on the last 20 years and look forward to seeing what the next have in store.”
The highlight of Lieutenant Commander Healy’s career so far has been serving as Commanding Officer of the Armidale-class patrol boat HMAS Bathurst from 2021-23 after serving on the newly commissioned ship as a midshipman in 2006.
“When the signal came out announcing me as CO (Commanding Officer) Bathurst – that was a full-circle moment for me,” Lieutenant Commander Healy said.
“To have served on her as a midshipman and then to return 15 years later as her captain was pretty awesome.
“I never thought I would be here 20 years later with still so much yet to experience. The old adage was ‘Join the Navy, see the world’ and for me this has absolutely rung true.”
“In 2021, it was post-COVID and we took the ship on deployment to Singapore. Two-thirds of the ship’s company hadn’t been off the Australian station so it was really exciting to take the ship and her crew into international waters, conduct a crossing-the-line ceremony and pay a port visit to our friends and neighbours in Singapore.
“Being CO of a ship is truly the time you get to cement your leadership and demonstrate all the training you’ve undertaken over many years.
“My crew was exceptional, and because of them my boat was consistently operationally ready and we achieved every mission assigned to us.
“I’ve enjoyed all my sea postings but being the CO is the best posting I’ve had so far.”
Lieutenant Commander Healy has also served on HMA Ships Warramunga and Arunta, and achieved her Bridge Warfare Certificate on HMAS Adelaide in 2007.
Shore postings include gunnery officer at HMAS Stirling, Defence Force Recruiting in Brisbane and principal warfare officer exchange to New Zealand, where she was the operations officer on HMNZS Canterbury and the commissioning operations officer on the tanker HMNZS Aotearoa.
As you would expect in a career of 20 years, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, but Lieutenant Commander Healy said even during challenging periods there was always something to be learned.
“I think you learn a lot from failure and mistakes equally as you do from the leaders who inspire you,” she said.
“It’s important to recognise that even our most junior members have a lot to contribute and providing them the space and opportunity to shine can positively impact the success of the mission.
“We all come from different walks of life and we can learn from everyone. Diversity of thought is the creator of amazing things. Consider what you want your legacy to be and make sure you leave behind a positive experience.”
Lieutenant Commander Healy has been selected to undertake Australian Command and Staff Course in 2025.
