Commander Andrew Hough
Commander Andrew Hough (pronounced ‘Howe’) joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1995, through the Australian Defence Force Academy. Commencing professional training in 1998, he proceeded to a range of postings as a junior Maritime Warfare Officer from 1999-2004, including service in the patrol boat HMAS Cessnock, an exchange posting with the Royal Canadian Navy in the destroyer HMCS Algonquin, service in the frigate HMAS Canberra and then qualifying as an Air Intercept Controller. As an AIC, Hough served in the frigates HMAS Sydney and HMAS Darwin, deploying to the Middle East on two occasions, including service in the Iraq War 2003, and subsequently served as an Air Intercept Control Instructor with the Air Force.
Lieutenant Hough specialised as a Principal Warfare Officer in 2005 and served as a PWO in the frigate HMAS Warramunga. He sub specialised as an Air Warfare Officer in 2007 and served as Operations Officer of the frigate HMAS Anzac and then on exchange with the Royal Navy as the Operations Officer and Air Warfare Officer of the destroyer HMS Manchester. Highlights of his sea service as a PWO were a third operational deployment to the Middle East, exercises in Hawaii and South East Asia, a deployment to the Caribbean for counter-narcotics and hurricane relief operations, and a year training ships in Air Warfare as the Fleet Direction Officer within Sea Training Group.
Lieutenant Commander Hough served as Executive Officer of the frigate HMAS Melbourne from 2012-2014, and deployed on two further occasions to the Middle East, with Melbourne enjoying considerable success in counter-piracy and counter-narcotics operations. Attending the Australian Command and Staff Course in Canberra in 2015 and being selected for the inaugural Art of War advanced academic programme, Hough served at the strategic level of Navy as the Personal Staff Officer to the Deputy Chief of Navy, and then on promotion to Commander within Navy Workforce Management.
In 2018, Commander Hough assumed command of the Royal Australian Navy Recruit School in an extremely satisfying and challenging role commanding the initial entry training for all Sailors. After handing over command of Recruit School in 2020, he completed the Aegis Prospective Commanding Officer course in the USA and served within Fleet Force Generation Directorate in Fleet Headquarters, responsible for Sea Combat related force generation activities, with a particular focus on Air-Maritime integration.
Commander Hough holds a Master of Arts in Military History from UNSW and a Masters of Military and Defence Studies from ANU. He was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service in 2015 for distinguished performance on operations as Executive Officer HMAS Melbourne. Hough’s professional awards include the RSL Sword for Dux of junior Maritime Warfare Officer training in 1999; Dux of his Air Intercept Controller course in 2001; the Sydney-Emden Prize and Sword of Excellence for Dux of PWO training in 2005; the St Barbara Association prize for Dux of PWO (A) training in 2007; the BAE Systems prize for Dux of Royal Navy Air Warfare Training in 2009; and the Chief of Navy Prize for top Navy student on Staff Course in 2015.
Commander Hough assumed command of HMAS Sydney (V) in May 2021.
