David was born in Seymour, Victoria, to Army parents. He completed high school in Moorabbin and enlisted in the Australian Army at the age of 17 in 1979.
After an initial period of service, David took a short break during the 1980s before re-enlisting in 1990. He served until his discharge in 2011, achieving the rank of Warrant Officer Class One (WO1). His extensive service included multiple deployments overseas, with periods in Iraq, Afghanistan and Indonesia during the tsunami response, as well as work alongside other Pacific nations.
In recognition of his dedication, David was awarded an Australia Day Medallion in 2006. He continued to support Defence in civilian roles, first as a Fleet Manager for Combat Radios and later as the Quality Assurance Manager for Navy Engineering, retiring from all positions in 2018.
David remains deeply committed to serving the veteran community. He currently holds several roles, including Vice President of the Morwell RSL.
He is married and has three adult daughters.
