Our People in WA
Steven Line - Navy in the blood
Perth local, and Thornlie resident, Steven Line, 34, has been involved with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) for most of his life, though not always in the same job.
At the age of 14, he joined Training Ship (TS) Canning as a musician and spent two years in the cadets. Following in his brother’s footsteps he then joined the Royal Australian Navy and for one month was the 2nd youngest member in the entire RAN.
He trained as a Combat Systems Operator sailor and spent four years in the RAN, travelling around Australia and going on deployment to the Middle East with HMAS Melbourne.
In 1998 he decided to leave the Navy and went back to school full time as well as transferring to the Army Reserves as it provided more work at the time than the Navy Reserves.
After finishing his year 12 studies at Canning College, Steven decided to undertake a nursing degree at Edith Cowan University. He now works full-time at the Ellen Street Family Practice in Fremantle, whilst keeping his emergency nursing skills up in the Swan District Hospital Emergency Department on the weekends.
However, it was always in the back of his mind to re-join the Navy as a Reservist.
“Once you’re in, you’re always in, right? I love the sea, and the friends I gained during my first four years in the Navy are still friends today,” Steven said.
In 2004, Steven received his commission as an officer in the Naval Reserves and since then has been on six deployments including Pacific Partnership, which he is currently doing for the second time.
Pacific Partnership is an annual U.S led humanitarian aid mission that aims to strengthen alliances and promote multilateral security cooperation. The ADF is participating with a mix of engineering and medical personnel including doctors, nurses, dentists and veterinarians.
During his 10 weeks on the mission Steven has been working with local health providers and other members of the multi-national, multi-organisational Pacific Partnership team in Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea to provide sustainable family health care to local communities.
“We’re having a huge impact on the local population and even though it’s hot, hard work at times, it’s very rewarding to see the differences we’re making in people’s lives,” Steven said.
“Watching their reaction after they’ve been given a pair of reading glasses, for example, is amazing – in some cases we’ve literally given them their life back.”
PP11 is now in its seventh year, and partner nations continue their mission to improve the lives of people in the Pacific region, as well as improve the capacities of nations and organisations to respond to disasters through recurring opportunities for cooperation and training
Steven will leave the mission in Darwin after 10 weeks onboard and three ports Tonga, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea. He is looking forward to seeing his wife and dog again and returning to the normal life of a civilian – at least until the next time the sea-riding bug bites.