Grand farewell for CO

By LSPH Kaye Adamss

LCDR Frank Ostrowski paraded on a patrol boat engine as staff from FIMA Darwin salute him farewell.

Photo: LSPH Kaye Adams

Special After a career in the RAN spanning 38 years, LCDR Frank Ostrowski leaves his Command at FIMA Darwin and farewells the Navy.

LCDR Ostrowski’s expansive career started from a humble beginning back in 1966, when he joined the Royal Australian Navy as a 16- year- old apprentice, specialising in System Artificer Power.

His career as an electronic technician saw him progress through the ranks to CPO.

His postings included HMA Ships and shore establishments Derwent, Kuttabul, Stalwart, Adelaide, Nirimba, Harman and Coonawarra.

His career highlights during this time include participating in Far East Strategic Reserve (1969-1972) including Vietnam in 1972 and the final SEATO exercise in the South China Sea that same year.

He was also involved in “Navy Help Darwin” after Cyclone Tracy in 1974, was posted to HMAS Waratah in the USA in 1979 for training and commissioned HMAS Adelaide in 1980, the first RAN FFG.

In 1988 he was commissioned and promoted to Lieutenant where he worked as Base Technical Officer at HMAS Watson.

He was then posted to Papua New Guinea as Technical Advisor for Papua New Guinea Defence Force, followed by HMAS Coonawarra as the Officer in Charge of the Fleet Intermediate Maintenance Activity, Darwin (FIMA Darwin) and then in January 2001 he became Commanding Officer of FIMA Darwin, his final posting.

He was given a grand send off as staff from FIMA Darwin formed a line from the FIMA “Shed” to the Arrow Club to salute their farewell, as he was pushed on the gurney strapped to a patrol boat engine!

LCDR Ostrowski aims to continue working in the ship repair and engineering field as a maintenance and docking supervisor in Malaysia in the near future.

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