Michael van Balen
| Michael Julian van Balen | |
|---|---|
|
van Balen with Vice Admiral William Moran of the United States Navy, November 2013 | |
| Born |
16 February 1961 Brisbane, Queensland |
| Allegiance |
 Australia |
| Service/branch |
 Royal Australian Navy |
| Years of service | 1978 – present |
| Rank | Rear Admiral |
| Commands held |
Deputy Chief of Navy HMAS Watson HMAS Sydney |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War |
| Awards |
Officer of the Order of Australia Commendation for Distinguished Service Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) |
Rear Admiral Michael Julian van Balen AO, RAN (born 16 February 1961) is a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), who served as the Deputy Chief of Navy from 2013 to January 2016.[1]
Early life
van Balen was born in Brisbane, Queensland, on 16 February 1961 to Adrian and Cath van Balen.[2]
Naval career
van Balen joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1978 and graduated from the Royal Australian Naval College in 1982.[1]
van Balen has served in a various billets within the Australian naval high command and United States Navy commands.[1]
He has served on board a variety of Royal Australian Navy ships including HMA ships Barbette, Brisbane, Stalwart, Stuart, Yarra, Bunbury, Derwent, Swan and the United States Navy ship USS Ranger, a Forrestal-class aircraft carrier.[1]
van Balen completed a Master of Management degree from the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2001.[1] He attended the US Naval War College in 2005.[3]
Honours and awards
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| | Officer of the Order of Australia | 26 January 2015 |
| | Commendation for Distinguished Service | 26 January 2005 [4] |
| | Australian Active Service Medal | |
| | Iraq Medal | |
| | Defence Force Service Medal with 4 clasps | (35–39 Years Service) |
| | Australian Defence Medal | |
| | Officer of the Legion of Merit | (United States) |
RADM van Balen has also been awarded the RAN's "Principal Warfare Officer" badge and the RAN's "Sea Readiness Badge".
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Rear Admiral Michael van Balen". RAN Admirals. Royal Australian Navy. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
- ↑ "Rear Admiral Michael van Balen". Who's Who in Australia Online. ConnectWeb. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
- ↑ https://www.usnwc.edu/NWCSite/media/Graduation-Programs/17-June-2005-Graduation.pdf
- ↑ "Award of Commendation for Distinguished Service to van BALEN, Michael Julian". It's an Honour. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Rear Admiral Trevor Jones |
Deputy Chief of Navy 2013–2016 |
Succeeded by Rear Admiral Michael Noonan |