David John Shackleton
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
David John Shackleton AO
(born 2 March 1948) was a Vice Admiral
of the Royal Australian Navy
, and was Chief of Navy
from 1999 to 2002.
, South Australia
in 1966 under Supplementary List (Executive) Scheme, and saw service in Vietnam
while qualifying as a seaman officer. He was given command of the destroyer escort in 1988, was the Maritime commander for the opposing force
s during Exercise Kangaroo 1989, and reached the rank of Captain in 1989. He commanded the destroyer from 1991 to 1992, and was promoted to Commodore in 1993.
He is a graduate of the RAN Staff College and the Joint Services Staff College, and has earned an MBA (Executive) from Monash University
. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management
and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
.
He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1998, and then Vice Admiral
and Chief of Navy
in 1999. He initiated various organisational changes across the Navy.
He was a senior Navy witness to the Senate Enquiry into the Children overboard affair
. He was appointed as an Officer in the Order of Australia
(AO) in 2000, and Commander in the U.S Legion of Merit in 2001. He retired from the navy in 2002.
Vice Admiral (Australia)
Vice admiral is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. It is a three-star rank...
David John Shackleton AO
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 2 March 1948) was a Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral (Australia)
Vice admiral is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. It is a three-star rank...
of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, and was Chief of Navy
Chief of Navy (Australia)
The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence...
from 1999 to 2002.
Career
David Shackleton joined the Navy from AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
in 1966 under Supplementary List (Executive) Scheme, and saw service in Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
while qualifying as a seaman officer. He was given command of the destroyer escort in 1988, was the Maritime commander for the opposing force
Opposing force
An opposing force or enemy force is a military unit tasked with representing an enemy, usually for training purposes in war game scenarios...
s during Exercise Kangaroo 1989, and reached the rank of Captain in 1989. He commanded the destroyer from 1991 to 1992, and was promoted to Commodore in 1993.
He is a graduate of the RAN Staff College and the Joint Services Staff College, and has earned an MBA (Executive) from Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management
Australian Institute of Management
The Australian Institute of Management is Australia's largest professional body for managers. The sole purpose of AIM is to promote the advancement of education and learning in the field of management and leadership for commerce, industry and government. It is not for profit entity with branches...
and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
Australian Institute of Company Directors
The Australian Institute of Company Directors is Australia's leading membership body for directors in Australia and the leading Australian not-for-profit corporate governance organisation....
.
He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1998, and then Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral (Australia)
Vice admiral is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. It is a three-star rank...
and Chief of Navy
Chief of Navy (Australia)
The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence...
in 1999. He initiated various organisational changes across the Navy.
He was a senior Navy witness to the Senate Enquiry into the Children overboard affair
Children overboard affair
The Children Overboard affair was an Australian political controversy involving public allegations by Howard government ministers in October 2001, in the lead-up to a federal election, that sea-faring asylum seekers had thrown children overboard in a presumed ploy to secure rescue and passage to...
. He was appointed as an Officer in the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AO) in 2000, and Commander in the U.S Legion of Merit in 2001. He retired from the navy in 2002.