After 56 years in the Royal New Zealand Navy and Navy Reserves, Warrant Officer electronic warfare instructor Roger Sheehan is still contributing to the service and has crowned his career with recognition at the highest level.
Sheehan has been awarded a Chief of Defence Force Commendation for his work in ensuring the Navy Reserves’ training aligned with the requirements of their Regular Force counterparts.
He demonstrated dedication and devotion to address the personnel training issue with the naval reserve forces and he was a worthy recipient, according to his citation.
Sheehan, who has been a warrant officer for 28 years, has been in a range of naval training and recruitment roles throughout his career.
In 2019, he transferred to the Naval Reserve. He quickly identified reserve recruits that joined a local unit would not have any formal training or induction for anything up to 18 months.
Aware that the reserve recruits need the same competencies as their Regular Force counterparts, he developed comprehensive training programmes Reserve personnel would be required to attend in unit training, monthly weekend training blocks and four 10-day residential phases, paced over 10-12 months, which would deliver the same content as full time sailors.
Portrait of WO Roger Sheehan at Devonport Naval Base – HMNZS PHILOMEL. Recieving CDF Award for 2025, Warrant Officer Roger Sheehan, who has spent 56 years in Navy, including work with Reserves which smooths the transition for them to Regular Force and good graduation rates. Warrant Officer Electronic Warfare Instructor Roger Sheehan has been awarded a Chief of Defence Force Commendation for his work in improving Navy Reserve Force training. Photo / Supplied
The Reserve units had always been responsible for their own training. Sheehan determined that by adopting this model trainees could be brought together using military camps and bases throughout the country, while ensuring the core maritime training was carried out at Devonport Naval Base – the home of the navy.
“We would maximise the time in that first 10-day block to get them through the essential part of the programme.”
The last 10-day block was the officer leadership phase, where officers would be undertaking leadership tasks in an unfamiliar environment over five days and living under canvas.
The Reserves were adults and most were accomplished professionals in their own fields, but everyone starts with a clean slate. If you use it, you clean it and timing and discipline are key components in the military, Sheehan said.
“They have to perform to move up, so that is a mind change for them. Some of them struggled in the beginning but when it was explained to them why we do it, they were quite happy.”
The work was so successful that since 2022 it has led to the graduation of 85 personnel over three intakes and reversed the decline in Reserve Force numbers.
Additionally, 15% of the new Naval Reserve recruits were able to seamlessly transfer to Regular Force service.
“I’ve earned three Commanding Officer commendations during my career, but this is easily the highest,” Sheehan said.
“My family’s pretty impressed and I am very proud.”
After 56 years in the Navy, Sheehan laughs he is “probably past use-by date and rapidly approaching the best before” but is still loving life in uniform.
Roger Sheehan, left, enlisted with his twin brother Ronald in 1969 and has gone on to a 56-year career in the Royal New Zealand Navy and Navy Reserves. Photo / Supplied
He and his twin brother Ronald grew up in South Auckland and were involved with Sea Cadets before enlisting in 1969.
Ronald, who has since died, was a steward and spent 25 years in the Navy.
Roger Sheehan joined as a radio operator and his first big deployment was 11 months aboard HMNZS Otago to Southeast Asia in 1971 and then to Mururoa Atoll for nuclear testing in 1973.
Other highlights included an electronic warfare instructors’ course in the United Kingdom and a short period of time at Fleet Operational Standards and Training (Fost), inspecting Royal Navy, German and Dutch ships at Portland.
He also enjoyed eight years in recruiting, working from Tauranga and covering the east coast of the country.
“The Navy really breeds a camaraderie that is second to none. You build a bond that just never goes away and it’s from admirals down.”
“The funny thing is that if I had to do it all over again, I probably would.”
– Contributed content