Davyd Thomas Rear Admiral Davyd Rhys Thomas AO , CSC , RAN ( b . 2 May 1956 ) is a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy . Service history . Davyd Rhys Thomas was born on 2 May 1956 in Newcastle , New South Wales , and joined the Royal Australian Navy College from that city in 1974 . After gaining a Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate in 1978 , he served as Executive Officer of HMAS " Aware " , a Darwin based patrol boat . Thomas was promoted to Lieutenant in 1979 , during which time he commenced his warfare training , and served on HMAS " Brisbane " . A short stint on the staff at the RAN Apprentice Training Establishment , prior to professional warfare specialist training in the United Kingdom , followed in 1983 . Upon his return to Australia , Thomas served as the Operations Officer on HMAS " Vampire " , and later on HMAS " Perth " as Gunnery Officer . He then completed the RAN Staff Course in 1987 , and was subsequently employed as the Surface Weapons Trials Officer at the RAN ' s Test and Evaluation Centre in Sydney . Thomas was then posted as Executive Officer of HMAS " Adelaide " , and participated in the first RAN contingent to the Persian Gulf in 1990 , as part of Operation Desert Shield ; he was promoted to Commander in December 1990 . He then served in Western Australia as the Operations Officer at Fleet Base West . In September 1994 , Commander Thomas assumed command of HMAS " Darwin " , based on the West Coast . In the Australia Day Honour ' s List of 1997 , Thomas was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross and was promoted to Captain in July of the same year . March 1999 saw him posted as Director of Naval Officers ' Postings , until assuming command of HMAS " Newcastle " , in March 2001 . As the Commanding Officer of " Newcastle " during Operation Slipper in the Persian Gulf , Captain Thomas conducted maritime interdiction in support of coalition forces enforcing United Nations sanctions against Iraq . For this he was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service in June 2003 . He was promoted to the rank of Commodore and made a Member of the Order of Australia in mid - 2002 for " " exceptional service to the Royal Australian Navy " " . He later assumed the position of Commodore Flotillas and Commander Deployable Joint Force Headquarters ( Maritime ) in February 2004 . Thomas was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral and appointed to the position of Maritime Commander Australia ( MCAUST ) in July 2005 ; in 2007 this position was renamed Commander Australian Fleet ( COMAUSFLT ) . On 3 August 2007 , Rear Admiral Thomas assumed command of the Australian Defence College , which on 14 January 2008 became Joint Education , Training and Warfare ( JETW ) Command ( which encompasses the Australian Defence College Headquarters , the Australian Defence Force Academy , the Australian Command and Staff College , the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies and the ADF Warfare Centre ) . Thomas assumed the duties of Deputy Chief of Navy ( DCN ) on 6 June 2008 . In the Australia Day Honours List of 2009 , Thomas was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for his service as Commodore Flotillas , Maritime Commander Australia , Commander Australian Fleet and Commander , Australian Defence College . He relinquished the post of Deputy Chief of the Navy on 18 February 2011 to Rear Admiral Trevor Jones .