Noonan married Jan in 17 December 1994.[1] Jan Noonan is also a captain in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) and was the first woman to command an Australian vessel on active service, leading HMAS Labuan on operations in East Timor in 2000.[2][3][4] The couple have two daughters.[1]
Naval career
Noonan joined the RAN as a midshipman in 1984.[1] He was the commissioning commanding officer of HMAS Parramatta, commanding her from 2003.[5] He became Director of Sailor's Career Management in 2006, Chief of Staff in Headquarters Joint Task Force 633 in 2008 and Commodore Training (COMTRAIN) for the Royal Australian Navy and the Director-General of Operations at the Headquarters Joint Operations Command in 2009.[5]
On 23 June 2022 he used his senior position to allow his civilian girlfriend to board HMAS Waller where he proposed and they spent the night together in what was dubbed the "Love sub." Waller was involved with filming for an upcoming recruitment drive for the Australian Defence Force. Five days after the incident, it was announced that he was being replaced as the Chief of Navy, he retired in September 2022.[12]
^Commendation for Distinguished Service – 9 June 2003 Citation: For distinguished performance of duty as the Chief of Staff to the Australian National Command Headquarters in the Middle East during Operation SLIPPER.
^Commendation for Distinguished Service – 26 January 2010 Citation: For distinguished performance of duties in warlike operations as the Chief of Staff, Headquarters Joint Task Force 633, Middle East Area of Operations from September 2008 to March 2009.
^Member of the Order of Australia – 11 June 2012 Citation: For exceptional performance of duty and leadership as Director General Operations, Headquarters Joint Operations Command and as Director Military Strategic Commitments.
