Allegiance Australia Years of service 1977–present Rank Commodore | Name Bruce Kafer | |
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Commands held Director-General of the Australian Navy Cadets & Reserves
Australian Defence Force Academy
Combined Task Force 152/158
Hydrographic Service
HMAS Leeuwin
HMAS Flinders Awards Member of the Order of Australia
Conspicuous Service Cross | ||
Battles/wars Iran–Iraq War
Iraq War Service/branch Royal Australian Navy Battles and wars Iran–Iraq War, Iraq War | ||
Did Stephen Smith handle the ADFA scandal well?
Rear Admiral Bruce Kafer, AM, CSC (born 1959) is a senior Royal Australian Navy officer and former Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy, a position he held from December 2009 until December 2013. Kafer served as the Director-General of the Australian Navy Cadets and Reserves from December 2014 to December 2016, when he was appointed Head of the Cadet, Reserve and Employer Support Division.
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Naval career
Born in Newcastle, New South Wales, Kafer was admitted to the Royal Australian Naval College, Jervis Bay as a cadet midshipman in 1977. He subsequently trained on USS Chicago, HMAS Supply, HMAS Moresby and HMAS Swan before specialising as a Hydrographic Surveyor in 1982. As such, he served primarily aboard the survey ships Flinders and Moresby.
In 1986, he began an exchange with the Royal Navy, including senior Hydrographic Officer posts aboard HMS Fawn and HMS Herald, which included time spent in the Persian Gulf as part as British anti-mine efforts in the Iran-Iraq War.
Returning to Australia in 1992, he took up command of HMAS Flinders, and in 1994 was appointed as a Director of the RAN Staff College. After another period as a Hydrographic Officer, in 1997 he took command of HMAS Leeuwin upon its commission into the RAN. Late in 2000, he returned to the Australian Hydrographic Office to begin a four-year appointment as Commander of the RAN Hydrographic, Meteorological and Oceanographic Force Element Group.
He later served as Chief of the Combat Support Group at RAN Headquarters and then returned to Iraq to begin an appointment as Commander Task Forces 152 and 158, coalition maritime task forces which were responsible for security and interception operations in the Gulf.
In December 2009 Kafer assumed duties as Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy. He held the post until December 2013, when he was replaced by Air Commodore Alan Clements. He has since served as Director-General of the Australian Navy Cadets & Reserves.
Kafer was promoted to rear admiral in December 2016 and appointed as Head of the Cadet, Reserve and Employer Support Division.
Personal life
Kafer and his wife, Geraldine, have two adult sons.