COMMANDANT NAVAL TRAINING
Commander Willie bin Padan, Royal Brunei Navy (RBN) assume the appointment as the Commandant Naval Training on the 04th of December 2020. Born in Brunei Darussalam on the 16th of October 1976. He enlisted into the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF) in January 1993 joining the 15th Intake of the Boys Company. He was then awarded a scholarship program from the Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) Ordinary National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering in South Devon College, Torquay, United Kingdom in 1995 to 1997.
He was an alumni of Officer Cadet School, HMNZS Tamaki, Devonport, New Zealand in 2001. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade in 2002, Lieutenant rank in 2004, Lieutenant Commander Rank in 2008 and Commander Rank in 2014.
Commander Willie's early years in RBN spent mostly on board the Missile Gun Boats and Coastal Patrol Craft where he held appointments such as Navigation Officer, Executive Officer and as a Commanding Officer. His shore appointments includes Officer Commanding Support Squadron and as the RBN Navigation Officer. Other staff appointment held was as the Staff Officer Grade 1 Joint Maritime Operation and also Staff Officer Grade 1 Joint Exercise and Training at the Joint Force Headquarter where he had the opportunity appointed as the Head Secretariat for ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) Maritime Security (MS) and Counter Terrorism (CT) Exercise 2016 which was Co-hosted by Brunei New Zealand (MS) and Singapore Australia (CT). He had undergone various professional courses abroad such as the Naval Junior Officer Course in Republic of Singapore, International Long Navigation and International Principal Warfare Officer in the United Kingdom. He attended the 2nd RBAF Command & Staff Course and RBAF 12th Executive Development Programme with Liew Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.
The first command appointment was as the Commanding Officer (CO) of KDB PENYERANG, one of the PERWIRA Class, Coastal Patrol Craft (CPC) in 2004. After returning from International Principal Warfare Officer Course, he commanded KDB SETERIA a WASPADA Class Missile Gun Boat in 2009.
In September 2013, Commander Willie assumed command of KDB DARULEHSAN and participated in the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) Maritime Security Field Training Exercise in Sydney, Australia and subsequently deployed to Tacloban, Republic of Philippines in HADR deployment during Typhoon Haiyan. Commander Willie also participated in other naval exercises during his command namely HELANG LAUT and KOMODO with the Republic Indonesia, LIMA Multi-national Naval Exercise in Malaysia and WESTERN PACIFIC NAVAL SYMPOSIUM Multi-National Exercise in Qingdao, People's Republic of China Commander Willie was appointed as the Commandant Naval Training, Naval Training Centre in December 2020.
Throughout his service, Commander Willie has been awarded the Most Blessed Order of Setia Negara Brunei 4th Class (P.S.B.), Pingat Indah Kerja Baik (P.I.K.B) Golden Jubilee (P.J.E), and the Military Civic Action Medal awarded by the Republic of the Philippines on completion of Typhoon Haiyan Relief.
Commander Willie is an avid fitness and hiking enthusiast. He is married to an Education Psychologist Lim Yee Vei and blessed with three daughters.
