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SUPERMUM:
CMDR Reid presents the Australia Day Medal to AB Joanne
Andrews.
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Photo:
ABPH Nina Nikolin
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By
Graham Davis
You
might well describe AB Joanne Andrews, the administrat ion officer
for Australian Clearance Diving Team One (AUSCDTONE) as a “super
mum”.
She not only has a full time career in the Navy, she has three
children aged from two to nine and supports her husband Karl,
a former RAN member who injured his spine at work some time ago.
Despite this AB Andrews has found time to lead charity fundraising
at her home base HMAS Waterhen.
In the past two and a half years she has led programs to raise
thousands of dollars on days such as Bandana Day and Daffodil
Day.
She was also the organiser of Waterhen’s ship’s ball.
Her outstanding fund raising efforts have not gone unnoticed by
those around her including the commanding officer of the base
CMDR Steve Reid.
He nominated her to the Australia Day Council for an Australia
Day Medal.
The nomination was granted and a call went out to AB Andrews,
then in her final week of leave, to return to base. “I had no
idea why I was being recalled,” she said later.
On the morning of January 27 a clear lower deck was called and
120 men and women took up their positions on the Quarterdeck.
AB Andrews was amongst them.
CMDR Reid addressed the group reminding them another busy year
was ahead. He also announced he planned to make some presentations.
AB Andrews became aware she might be involved when she saw her
husband and their children, Jack, 9, Dana, 7 and Chloe, 2, arrive
and take up positions in the VIP seating.
“Mum didn’t know about this but we did,” Jack The children had
kept the secret well. When the time came CMDR Reid called AB Andrews
forward, read the citation applauding her charity and on-base
support work and formally handed the medal to her.
AB Andrews, an RAN member for seven years, five of them at Waterhen,
was chuffed.
The family lives at Cromer a northeastern suburb of Sydney.
