The former Royal New Zealand Air Force squadron leader put away his epaulets for the last time last October and returned home to Dunedin to begin the next phase of this life, as the team leader of the marine engineering division of Duffel Watts consulting group.
But the military does not let go that easily and earlier this year he was presented with the top air force award for his service as lead engineer on the project to update electronic systems on the RNZAF's fleet of Orion aircraft.
Mr Rooney (41), an avionics (aviation electronics) engineer, joined the RNZAF as an avionics technician in 1986.
By the time he retired last year, he was the commanding officer of the RNZAF's avionics squad.
But after 22 years of constantly moving, living everywhere from Asia to Australia and the United States, he and his wife, Bernadette, decided it was time for a change in lifestyle.
During his service, Mr Rooney spent several years in Texas leading the team building a prototype upgrade of the RNZAF's P-3 Orions' electronic and communications systems.
As part of its defence plan, the Government decided to upgrade the existing Orions' electronic systems instead of buying new aircraft.
The $350 million upgrade is expected to extend the aircrafts' life by 20 years.
As lead engineer on a small project team, Mr Rooney was primarily responsible for deciding how the complex mission, navigation and communications systems would be designed and upgraded and how the upgrade would be done.
He also provided engineering advice on the operational requirements of the project, reviewed the contracts and tenders involved and provided a system for checking the upgrade of a prototype was meeting specifications.
"It was a very, very robust process."
The prototype, built in the United States, was nearly complete and the five other RNZAF Orions would be upgraded in New Zealand over the next few years, Mr Rooney said.
In February last year, Mr Rooney was posted back to New Zealand, where he took up a position as the head of the RNZAF's avionics squad in Auckland until his retirement in October.
For his "exceptional performance" on the Orion systems upgrade project, he was recently awarded the air force's highest award, the Commander of Air Force Commendation, at a dinner in Dunedin.
The commendation is awarded to RNZAF employees for outstanding zeal and devotion to duty.
Mr Rooney said he was honoured to have received a commendation for his contribution.
