Deb Butterworth

Last updated

Deb Butterworth
Born Lilydale, Victoria
AllegianceAustralia
Service/branch Royal Australian Navy
Years of service1989–present
Rank Commander
Commands held Warrant Officer of the Navy (2019–22)
Battles/wars Iraq War
War in Afghanistan
Operation Okra
Awards Member of the Order of Australia
Conspicuous Service Medal & Bar

Debbie Ann Butterworth, AM , CSM & Bar is an officer in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). She was Warrant Officer of the Navy, the most senior sailor of the RAN, from November 2019 to December 2022. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Early life

Butterworth was born in Lilydale, Victoria, and for the first ten years of her life she travelled extensively.[ citation needed ] She then settled into school life in Perth, Western Australia.[ citation needed ]

Butterworth enlisted into the Royal Australian Navy as a Stores Naval Sailor in 1989. Butterworth has enjoyed serving in various platforms as a Stores Sailor. These include HMA Ships Jervis Bay, Success, Sydney, Manoora, Newcastle, and a short time on Parramatta.

In 2003 and 2005, then Chief Petty Officer Butterworth deployed on HMAS Newcastle for Operation Catalyst, the Australian assistance to the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Iraq. Butterworth was awarded the Conspicuous Service Medal (CSM) in 2006 in recognition of her service on Newcastle.

Promoted to warrant officer in July 2007, Butterworth returned to Western Australia to take up the role of Logistic Services Manager in Joint Logistic Unit (West). In 2009, Butterworth joined Sea Training Group Major Fleet Units. The role of this group is to facilitate collective training and conduct unit-level assessment of RAN Fleet Units. Butterworth left logistics roles after being awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for meritorious service to the Royal Australian Navy in the field of logistics management in 2012.

Butterworth assumed the role of the Ship's Warrant Officer on HMAS Success in December 2011. [4] Success was an integral part of Operation Southern Indian Ocean, an activity to support the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 in April 2014. In 2014 Butterworth deployed to the Middle East and, upon return to Australia, she was awarded a Bar to her CSM in recognition of her service in Success.

In July 2017, Butterworth was appointed to the role of Command Warrant Officer Training Force. She served in the role until July 2019, when she was appointed to guide a team to create the Mariner Development Program to continue to develop mariners and warfighters while undertaking specialist employment training.[ citation needed ]

Butterworth was appointed as the Royal Australian Navy's ninth Warrant Officer of the Navy in November 2019. She served in the role for three years, handing over to Warrant Officer Andrew Bertoncin on 16 December 2022, and was then commissioned in the rank of commander. [5] Butterworth was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 Australia Day Honours, the award recognising her "exceptional service ... in the field of Navy People leadership and management". [6]

Butterworth holds a Master of Military and Defence Studies.[ citation needed ] When at home, Butterworth enjoys living in Canberra.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Australian Navy</span> Naval warfare branch of the Australian Defence Force

The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of Defence (MINDEF) and the Chief of Defence Force (CDF). The Department of Defence as part of the Australian Public Service administers the ADF.

Regimental sergeant major (RSM) is an appointment that may be held by a warrant officer (WO) in the British Army, the Royal Marines, and the armies of many other Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations. It is also an actual rank in the Irish Defence Forces, and formerly in the British Army, Royal Marines and United States Army. Only one warrant officer holds the appointment of RSM in any regiment or battalion, making them the senior warrant officer; in a unit with more than one top-ranked WO, the RSM is considered to be first amongst equals". The RSM is primarily responsible for assisting their commander in maintaining standards and discipline amongst the non-commissioned members and acts as a parental figure to their subordinates, sometimes referred to by the mantra "Drill, Dress and Discipline".

HMAS <i>Newcastle</i> Adelaide-class frigate

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HMAS <i>Success</i> (OR 304) Durance-class multi-product replenishment oiler

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russ Crane</span>

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References

  1. A rewarding career leads to appointment as ninth Warrant Officer of the Navy Archived 28 March 2020 at the Wayback Machine , LEUT Dave Devlin (author), LSIS James McDougall (photographer), Navy Daily/News, 2019-11-22
  2. Royal Australian Navy woman appointed as most senior sailor, Media Release, Minister of Defence (Australia), 2019-11-22
  3. Top sailor wants to feed minds hungry for ‘why’, Rosie Lewis, The Australian, 2019-11-21
  4. Australia: ANZAC Battle Tankers March as One, NavalToday, 2013-04-25, accessed 2020-01-17
  5. Merigan, Tahlia (16 December 2022). "A Tenure of Passion and Commitment". Defence News. Department of Defence. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  6. "Member (AM) in the Military Division of the Order of Australia" (PDF). Australia Day 2023 Honours List. Office of the Governor-General of Australia. Retrieved 26 January 2023.
Military offices
Preceded by Warrant Officer of the Navy
2019–2022
Succeeded by