Lieutenant Alise Hutchison is a diamond in the rough as the only qualified female officer of the watch on board the Australian Navy vessel HMAS Stuart.

The ship was in Samoa after completing a surveillance mission with the Nafanua III.

In the maritime industry, the term Officer of the Watch refers to the person in charge of the vessel’s safe navigation and operation on the bridge. 

“I really enjoy being an officer of the watch. It's definitely had that challenging aspect. There are times when you're pushing your capacity and pushing yourself,” said Lt. Hutchison. 

She enjoys the challenge of her role and the variety of tasks that come with it, which keeps her from being pigeonholed into just one job every day. 

Lt. Hutchison joined the Australian Defence Force after finishing high school in 2018 and applied for the Maritime Warfare Officer role, which intrigued her interest because of her love for the water.

"Because whilst I didn't grow up near the ocean, I grew up in rural Australia. We'd go water skiing on the big lake that we had nearby. So, I enjoyed being on the water. So, it kind of led me on the path of joining as a Maritime Warfare Officer," said Lt. Hutchison.

Lt. completed a three-year degree in the Navy at a military university in Australia.

“Then I joined Stuart, where I completed my training. I'm now fully qualified to drive this magnificent vessel,” said Lt. Hutchison. 

As an officer of the watch, Lt. Hutchison is responsible for driving the vessel and supporting various onboard roles, including managing a department and supporting others in their roles. 

“I support our public relations officer in our handling Stuart's Facebook page, that’s been interesting. I also help manage our people, making sure they're supported,” said Hutchison. 

She has travelled overseas in her personal time and finds it exciting to explore new places but this is her first international tour on the HMAS Stuart. 

While she has only ported in Hawaii and Fiji with HMAS Stuart, she enjoyed her short stay in Fiji but is looking forward to exploring Samoa and discovering what it has to offer during their stay.