Cmdr Fogarty is based in Upper Hutt. The Otago Daily Times caught up with the former Otago and Southland resident naval officer while he was on holiday in Clyde, preparing for Wanaka's Anzac celebrations.
He will be the guest speaker at today's event, an honour of which he was "very proud".
His father, uncle and step-father all served in World War 2 and Anzac Day was, of course, a "special" one for his family and colleagues.
Cmdr Fogarty was born in 1968 Dunedin where he attended St Paul's High School (now Kavanagh College).
He joined the Royal New Zealand Navy as a midshipman in 1988 and returned to his home town in 1999 to take up the post of Otago-Southland resident naval officer.
The role involved a lot of "community engagement" and "flying the flag for Otago and Southland", he said.
During his term in Dunedin he was posted to East Timor in 1999, at the time of the referendum.
He spent six months as a military observer and was later made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services in East Timor.
In 2001 he was reassigned and moved to Auckland. In the past 10 years, he has worn several hats for the New Zealand Defence Force, including director of the defence communications group, deputy director of strategic commitments (logistics), and defence adviser for the Pacific.
"Every three years the military will move you around to another job. I've been lucky with some travel," he said.
The most challenging aspect of his career was his "fast-paced" role in communications.
"Two years as head of media was pretty challenging, at a time when there was an election and a few issues going on in defence," he said.
A "pretty special" highlight, though, was being the planner for the 2007 New Zealand Memorial dedication in London, and serving briefly as equerry to the Queen.
"She is a lovely lady," he said.
For the past five years, Cmdr Fogarty has lived in Upper Hutt, where he is the director of the NZDF Command and Staff College.
The college, based at Trentham Military Camp, provides professional education for military, police, and customs officers from New Zealand as well as international officers.
Cmdr Fogarty and his family - wife Felicity and three young daughters - enjoyed living in the Wellington area but he "still supports the Highlanders".
A keen follower and player of sports, particularly rugby which he remains involved with in the navy, Cmdr Fogarty now coaches and referees netball.
The family has a crib in Clyde which allowed them to get their "South Island fix" every six months or more and retirement there was a long-term plan, he said.
Trips to Dunedin were also a regular occurrence because his three sisters and step-father still live in the city, along with cousins, aunts and uncles.
"It's been a great career; every job has been pretty good for me and I'm just enjoying my current role ... and always look forward to being down in Otago," he said.
Shaun Fogarty
• Born in Dunedin in 1968.
• Joined the Royal New Zealand Navy in 1988.
• Served as the Otago and Southland resident naval officer from 1999-2001.
• Now lives in Whitemans Valley, Upper Hutt, and is the director of the New Zealand Defence Force Command and Staff College.
