Commander Michael Miller
Commander Michael Miller CSC, RAN, joined the Navy in January 1987 via the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), graduating in 1989. Maritime Warfare Officer training followed, including sea postings in HMA Ships Swan, Tarakan, and Geraldton before being awarded his Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate in HMAS Darwin in 1992, while deployed on operations in the Middle East. Following sea consolidation in Darwin and HMAS Derwent, Miller posted ashore as a Divisional Officer at ADFA.
In 1995, Miller joined HMAS Bendigo as the Executive Officer and undertook a number of operational deployments in support of enforcement of Australia’s fisheries, customs, and immigration laws. Staff postings preceded an operational deployment in 2000 to Timor Leste as the Chief Maritime Operations Officer for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force.
On his return to Australia, Miller undertook mine warfare training and returned to sea as the Operations Officer in HMAS Norman, then Executive Officer of HMAS Huon. During this posting he also undertook the Advanced Mine Warfare course in the United Kingdom. On posting ashore in 2005, Miller served as the Officer in Charge of the Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Operational Support Unit prior to transferring to the Navy Reserve in 2007.
Miller worked for a number of large firms, primarily as a project management contractor and management consultant with a focus on government and national security related projects. In 2010 he returned to Navy as a reservist before electing to return to full time Navy service, initially serving in the Defence Capability Development Group.
In December 2011, Miller assumed command of the Armidale Class Patrol Boat crew ARDENT THREE. The next two years were spent undertaking border protection operational deployments across the northern approaches to Australia. This rewarding posting was followed by staff postings, including in Navy’s Personnel Career Management Agency.
Promoted to Commander in January 2016, Miller took up a position as the Deputy Director Operations in Maritime Border Command, a joint Defence/Australian Border Force organisation. In this role he was responsible for the day to day execution of the national civil maritime security border protection operation, and his efforts were recognised through the award of a Conspicuous Service Cross in 2018. A staff posting to Navy Headquarters was followed in 2019/20 by an operational deployment as the Deputy Commander of the Maritime Task Group Middle East embedded within the US Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain. This challenging posting included contributing to the development of the International Maritime Security Construct aimed at protection of freedom of commerce through the Straits of Hormuz.
Commander Miller assumed Command of HMAS Waterhen in December 2020.
