Maritime Reserves welcomes new leader

Command of the Royal Navy’s Maritime Reserves has changed hands.  During a ceremony on board HMS Victory in Portsmouth, Commodore Mel Robinson handed over to her successor, Commodore Jo Adey.

Commodore Adey has served in both the Navy’s regular and reserves for three decades, joining HMS Calliope in 1993 while studying at Newcastle University.

Cdre Adey said “It’s a real honour to be returning to my roots, coming back as Commander of the Maritime Reserves, to work with the exceptional people who make up the Royal Naval Reserves and Royal Marines Reserve.  I am grateful to Commodore Mel for all the work she’s done to modernise the Maritime Reserves and I’m looking forward to continuing this progress and getting to know the organisation better over the coming weeks and months”

Cdre Adey has been a full-time sailor since 2004, serving as a training manager, including overseeing training at HMS Raleigh.  She recently added to her already impressive resume by graduating from the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.  She has taken over the command of 3,270 men and women in the Maritime Reserves which is made up of the Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Marines Reserve.

Her predecessor, Cdre Robinson, took charge of the Maritime Reserves at the beginning of the Covid pandemic in Feb 2020, during her time she has overseen the modernisation of the organisation, replacing structures and processes built around the Cold War with a regional training model which has embraced technology, enabling it to deliver a greater training capacity than ever before. Cdre Robinson has served in the Royal Navy for more than 30 years and was among the first women to go to sea and command a warship.

Cdre Robinson said “Serving as Commander of this exceptional part of the Royal Navy has been the highlight of my career, and I wish Commodore Adey, and her husband Richard, every success as she assumes the role of the next Commander of the Maritime Reserves.”

Source: Forces Net