Navy members came together to celebrate Harmony Week 2026 alongside at Garden Island, Sydney.
A diaspora of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) sailors and officers spent a morning engaging in a special tour that highlighted Navy's cultural and maritime evolution.
The group toured HMAS Sydney V, one of Navy's newest and most capable warships, before heading down the wharf to engage in an immersion experience in the Navy's oldest-style Sail Training Ship (STS) Young Endeavour.
Director Fleet Engineering Captain Cadeyrn Okely, who is of Vietnamese descent, was part of the group.
"It's a fantastic opportunity for a group of our CALD members to be exposed to an experience like this," Captain Okely said.
"It was also powerful to expose both Sydney and Young Endeavour crews to this group of diverse and exceptional people."
Navy members of diverse ranks, genders and cultural heritage were introduced to some of the most important areas of Sydney, including the propulsion control room, the bridge and a look inside the 5-inch gun on the forecastle.
The group were then welcomed onto STS Young Endeavour for a sailing immersion experience. The ship's developing youth crew toured the Navy members around the ship, and trained them in a variety of sail handling skills.
'It's inspirational for our youth members to see these thriving, diverse Navy people come on board.'
Commanding Officer Young Endeavour Lieutenant Commander Andrew Leupen spoke about the value of immersing the CALD members and the youth crew in the engagement activity.
"It's just awesome to get such a mix of Navy people on board this beautiful old ship, alongside this diverse group of young Australians," Lieutenant Commander Leupen said.
"What a thing, to have 24 young Australians taking charge of a captain - Director Fleet Engineering nonetheless - up on a furling drum, heaving on a line.
"And Navy Women's Strategic Adviser Commander Jessica Morris checking away on the sheet, as we set the main staysail."
The Young Endeavour crew put on a morning tea after the sail training activity, and the Navy CALD members had a chance to engage with the youth crew.
"It's inspirational for our youth members to see these thriving, diverse Navy people come on board," Lieutenant Commander Leupen said.
"This ship is already full of positive energy with excellent role modelling occurring for our young Australians, and activities like the one today really add icing to that cake."
The CALD group comprises members with cultural heritage from Vietnam, China, Fiji, North-East Africa and more.
Leading Seaman Razaz Glaidous, whose mother was born in Eritrea, North-East Africa, shared her feelings about the experience.
"It was great to come together with other CALD people in Navy today, to build our network and share our experiences, not only with each other, but with the young people on board Young Endeavour," Leading Seaman Glaidous said.
"It was liberating to engage with the Young Endeavour youth crew. They were so proud to share their experiences and their story, and to show us what they had learned on board the ship.
"I really resonated with this, having had similar experiences in the Navy and during my Gap Year - I could really see they felt like they belonged in their crew."
