No barriers: Navy wants all aboard Pioneer: Mona Shindy is a cultural adviser. As a woman, an engineer and the most senior Muslim serving in the Royal Australian Navy, Mona Shindy is used to breaking down barriers. In a 24-year career Captain Shindy has seen everything from active service at the start of the 2003 Iraq war, to shore positions including overseeing the integration of Australian air warfare destroyers and heading up the Guided Missile Frigate System Program Office. She has also represented the navy in Washington. The mother of three has been given a new challenge, as the Chief of Navy's first strategic adviser on Islamic cultural affairs. Her mission will be to promote better understanding between Defence members and the Islamic community, as well as ensuring the navy has policies and processes that are inclusive and considerate of Muslims. There are just 15 Muslims serving in the navy and 88 employed across the Australian Defence Force. Captain Shindy is hoping to encourage more Muslims to think about the navy as a career. Part of that is overseeing the adaptation of the uniform to allow women to wear a headscarf and looser clothing if they choose, a minor change but one which might make the service seem more accessible for them. "As a mother, I would like to be creating a future for my children in Australia and in an organisation that makes them feel understood, included, and respected," she said. Captain Shindy will also help bridge relations between the navy and its Muslim counterparts and that will include the Community Relations Commission's outreach to the International Fleet Review, during which ships from 22 countries will arriving in Sydney in October to celebrate 100 years since the Royal Australian Navy's first fleet arrived.