Graduation Parade: Junior Officer Common Training 10/1 HMNZS Philomel

Today you begin careers in a Navy whose vision is to be "the best small-nation Navy in the world". 

It is a Navy which is now superbly equipped to realise that vision. With the arrival of the last of the Protector fleet the Royal New Zealand Navy can perform the full range of tasks required in our region.

You have the kit for the job. But you also have a powerful set of weapons in your hearts and minds. You stand behind, and for, the Navy's core values of courage, commitment and comradeship.

These are enduring values.  They have served our Navy well in times of conflict and peacetime operations.

There are numerous examples of the courage and bravery shown by New Zealand sailors in action.  Just last weekend, newspapers retold the story of HMNZS Moa and HMNZS Kiwi engaging and ramming a more heavily armed Japanese submarine off Guadalcanal in 1943.  Recently we have celebrated the 70^th anniversary of our famous involvement with HMS Achilles at the Battle of the River Plate.

In peacetime the Navy's values are also to the fore.  Commander Larry Robbins was CO of HMNZS Monowai in the famous Queen's Birthday rescue of 1994.  The storm brought winds of over 100 knots with 15-metre waves. It claimed seven vessels.  Commander Robbins rescued eight people from three yachts.  Some of these yachtsmen already had broken bones.

There are many such tales in the Navy's history, with common themes of outstanding leadership, teamwork and seamanship bringing success against the odds. These are the kind of examples that each of you graduating can aspire to.  Every one of these events highlights the core values of courage, commitment and comradeship.  

Today marks the end of your initial common training.  It has undoubtedly been 22 weeks of major challenges, great learning and the sharing of some memorable experiences.

Your training has enabled you to transition from civilians to self-reliant and disciplined officers, ready to face the next challenges in your careers. 

You are now poised to be New Zealand and Navy ambassadors to the world.  The sea covers over 70% of the earth's surface, and the Navy is well placed to support New Zealand's interests in our region and further afield.

HMNZS Te Kaha and HMNZS Endeavour are nearly at the end of a deployment that has seen them travel through Asia, North America and the Pacific. Along the way they have exercised with partners in Australian, Japanese, Canadian and United States naval units.

Our crews' efforts have demonstrated to all they have encountered our professionalism and New Zealand's commitment to values we hold dear.

In recent years our ships have conducted operations in the cold south of the Antarctic, in the heat of the Arabian Gulf, and closer to home in Timor, the Solomon Islands and the South Pacific.

Project Protector may add additional focus to the Navy's operations in our region.  But recent acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia are a timely reminder of how vulnerable our sea lines of communication are, and how events far away can have an impact on us here in New Zealand.

The recent delivery of the seven Project Protector ships will complement the combat capabilities of our two frigates and their Super Seasprite helicopters. 

The Protector fleet provides the Navy a more versatile force to respond to issues closer to home.  In each of these endeavours the Navy will be co-operating with other Government agencies to maximise the effectiveness of these operations.

This parade is the culmination of all aspects of your training.  It is superbly turned out, and therefore makes a fitting spectacle to mark the end of your initial training. 

The parade is testament to your individual and collective hard work.  It is also a testament to those in the Leadership Development Group who have trained and mentored you.  

As we mark this milestone, this parade also signals the commencement of the next phase of training.  From here you will gain the skills and knowledge that will let you serve productively in the fleet.

With the new ships now in operational service, I am sure that there will be many opportunities for you to progress in your chosen career and contribute to New Zealand's security, to safeguard our New Zealand way of life, and to be our ambassadors abroad. 

With the Navy having recently been assigned the accolade of "World Class Organisation" through the internationally recognized Baldrige Criteria, I am sure that you will now play your part in helping New Zealand's Navy attain its vision of being the best small-nation Navy in the world .

I am certain that this is a proud day for your families and the friends who have come to your Graduation Parade.   But most of all, each of you should be proud to be here; you have earned your place on today's parade. 

Congratulations on your graduation, I wish you fair winds and following seas.