Commanding Officer - HMNZS RESOLUTION A14
Lieutenant Commander Shane David Arndell, RNZN
Lieutenant Commander Shane Arndell was born in Tauranga, New Zealand. He grew up in the sea side town of Mount Maunganui and was educated at Mount Maunganui College, prior to joining the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1990.
After initial training as a rating in the Writer (Administration) Branch, Shane was commissioned as Midshipman on the General List (Executive) in January 1991 where at the end of his Junior Officers Common Training he was awarded the Minister of Defence ‘Sword of Honour’ for placing first in his class for the Course.
Shane has held various sea postings through out his career including appointments to the now decommissioned Leander Class Frigates, ANZAC Class Frigates and the Amphibious Support Ship (Logistics’) HMNZS CANTERBURY. The appointments at sea have varied throughout Shane’s naval career with his last sea appointment as Executive Officer of HMNZS CANTERBURY in 2008. The few shore postings in a mainly sea going career Shane has had have included appointments in Naval Staff as the Deputy Director Naval Operations in 1997/1998; posting to Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand in 2002/2003, during which he was deployed for six months as a United Nations Military Observer in Timor Leste.
Career courses completed by LT CDR Arndell include Principle Warfare Officer (Above Water Warfare) Course at the Maritime Warfare Training Centre in Sydney, Australia in 2000/2001; and the Australian Defence College Advanced Command and Staff Course, in Canberra, in 2006.
His career achievements to date include service as a United Nations Military Observer in Timor Leste, in 2002/2003, appointment as the Operations Officer onboard HMNZS TE MANA during ‘Enduring Freedom’ operations in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf in 2004; completion of the Advanced Command and Staff Course in 2006; and being selected by the Chief of Navy, in 2005, as the Commissioning Commander Officer for the Offshore Patrol Vessel WELLINGTON, which is still yet to be commissioned.
Shane’s current appointment as the Commanding Officer of HMNZS RESOLUTION has brought with it the realisation of a career long aspiration to achieve Command. Lieutenant Commander Shane Arndell lives in Auckland with his wife Alice.