Dec 7th 2007 - (XO) Lt Cdr Phillip Rowe
Tēna koutou, tēna koutou, tēna koutou katoa. Ko Phil Rowe taku ingoa nō Piritene au. I am a GLX (Hydrographic) Officer and currently the Executive Officer (XO) onboard RESOLUTION.
Image Right: (XO) HMNZS RESOLOUTION Lt Cdr Phillip Rowe (NIS-12-041)
I have been in New Zealand for a little under 2 years after ‘retiring’ from the Royal Navy in 05 after a 20 year career.
I actually joined RES back in May 06 as the Navigator and then left at the end of June 07 to take up a desk job for a year. However, like all things, plans are there for change, and 10 days into that job I was asked to come back to RES as the XO. The prospect of promotion and to be second-in-command of one of RNZN’s larger units made the decision easier.
Career highlights are many both here in NZ and back in the UK but a few that come to mind are spending two summer seasons down in Antarctica, being on the first ship to enter Buenos Aires, Argentina since the Falklands Conflict, surveying around the oil terminals in the northern Persian Gulf during the recent Gulf War and of course getting promoted and assuming the role of XO. With every job there are times that you wonder what you are doing and whether it is all worth it and none so more than last year when RES sailed from Gisborne for passage to the Chatham Islands. Never in my entire naval career has any vessel or sea condition made me sea sick except that passage, so well done NZ, you got me there.
Life here in NZ is great and my wife Karen and our children Lewis, Callum and Mollie-Grace are having a ball. We have made some great friends and love everything that NZ has to offer.