Volume 56, No. 07, April 25, 2013

Transcription

SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDE
Volume 56, No. 07, April 25, 2013
NEWS
The official newspaper of the Royal Australian Navy
OFF TO SEA: HMAS Choules
departs the Cruiser Wharf at
Fleet Base East in Sydney.
Photo: ABIS Sarah Ebsworth
READY
TO GO
PAGE 2
HMAS Choules is
ship-shape and
set for action
On guard
First in line
Australia’s Federation
Guard ready for
PAGE 5
Anzac Day
MH-60R Romeo
taking shape in
the US
PAGE 7
02
NEWS
April 25, 2013
Choules reports for duty
Michael Brooke
NAVY’s biggest and newest ship,
HMAS Choules, is unit ready after
successfully completing a compressed
work-up program and is now on target
for Exercise Sea Lion.
Choules achieved her mariner skills
and unit-readiness evaluations this
month and is scheduled to participate in
two major amphibious exercises in Far
North Queensland – Sea Lion next month
and Exercise Talisman Sabre in June.
CO Choules CMDR Ashley Papp
said Choules’ return to sea after a defect
rectification period was a tribute to the
professionalism and dedication of her
ship’s company, of which there was a
substantial change-out during the standdown period.
“Full credit to the ship’s company
for getting Choules unit ready in a compressed work-up period,” he said.
Choules was declared unit ready by
Sea Training Group on April 12 after 10
days at sea, during which time the crew
conducted extensive fire-fighting drills,
damage control exercises, sea assurance
testing and a mock evacuation of noncombatants from a fictional country.
A feature of Choules’ work-up was
the replenishment at sea she conducted
with SPS Cantabria and a number of
landings and take-offs by 808SQN helicopters.
Sea Training Group said Choules’
success reflected a “positive leadership
culture” and the strong morale of the
ship’s company.
CMDR Papp said his crew upskilled
through a range of innovative individual
and collective training initiatives while
six propulsion and power distribution
transformers were replaced.
“The fine achievements of the crew
during defect rectification and the workup now has Choules ready for her next
milestone, which is participating in Sea
Lion with embarked elements of the
Army’s 3rd Brigade in Townsville,” he
said.
Sea Lion and Talisman Sabre will
familiarise Army with the 16,800tonne ship, which is a test-bed for ADF
amphibious operations. “The exercises
will hone amphibious procedures for the
ADF’s transition to a true expeditionary
capability in 2014, when the first of the
22,000-tonne Canberra-class LHDs are
scheduled to come into service,” CMDR
Papp said.
A major feature of the force integration training will be the transfer of soldiers, vehicles and equipment to landing
craft for an assault.
Choules’ military lift includes the
capacity to load and transport up to 32
Abrams tanks, or 150 light trucks. She
can carry a normal load of 356 troops, or
up to 700 if operationally required.
She is designed to operate over the
horizon, using helicopters and landing
craft to get personnel and equipment
ashore.
With Choules’ return to sea, Navy’s
amphibious capability includes ADV
Ocean Shield, three LCHs and HMAS
Tobruk, and will be augmented by
NUSHIP
Canberra in
2014.
HEADING OUT: HMAS Choules leaves Fleet Base East to conduct
the ship’s mariner skills evaluation.
GETTING READY: Above and below, HMAS Choules’ flight deck
team and standing sea, fire and emergency party respond to a
simulated helicopter crash. Photos: ABIS Chantell Bianchi
KEEPING WATCH: (L-R) SIG Mark Parson, of 3 Bde, stands with ABCIS
Samuel Grosset on the 5-inch Aldis Lamp and ABCIS Benjamin Heron on TECH TIME: ABMT Sean Ellicott conducts
binoculars as they keep watch and signal to other vessels during HMAS rounds on the Azimuth Thruster on board
Choules’ departure from Sydney Harbour.
Photo: POIS Phillip Hunt HMAS Choules. Photo: ABIS Chantell Bianchi
RETURN TO
SEA: HMAS
Gascoyne’s
723SQN
helicopter
transfers critical
stores to the
ship during her
work-up.
Minehunter ready to respond
Michael Brooke
HMAS Gascoyne completed
her unit readiness work-up program on April 12, living up to her
motto of “return to sea”.
The HMAS Waterhen-based
minehunter started her four-week
work-up in the Eastern Australian
Exercise Area and Jervis Bay last
month, after a short notice change
in the ship’s program.
CO Gascoyne LCDR Aaron
Cox said the biggest challenge
during the work-up was integrating an almost entirely new
crew since her last unit readiness achievement more than 18
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months ago. “The first week
was dedicated to mine countermeasures, while the second week
focused on damage control exercises, seamanship and gunnery,”
LCDR Cox said.
The third week consisted of
a combination of mine countermeasures and general warfare,
while the final week consisted of a
30-hour unit readiness evaluation
and force protection certification.
The crew also boarded contacts of interests, transferred critical stores by 723SQN helicopter
and conducted a non-combatant
evacuation exercise.
Gascoyne’s work-up was
conducted in company with
H M A S Ya r ra , w h i l e H M A
Ships Newcastle, Choules and
Melbourne and SPS Cantabria
operated close by.
LCDR Cox said Gascoyne
interacted with other units as much
as possible, as Choules was also
conducting her mariner skills evaluation and Newcastle was conducting her mission readiness work-up.
“There are a lot of training
benefits of having a minehunter in company, such as having
to protect us from air or surface threats, while we lead them
through a minefield using our
precise navigation system and
high-definition sonar,” he said.
LCDR Cox said the collective
SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDE
NEWS
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Navy News.
training gave Gascoyne and Yarra
another opportunity to demonstrate mine counter-measures for
the benefit of Fleet operations.
“Minehunters have a tremendous capability and are always
ready to help the major Fleet
units because it is all part of
training the way we need to in
order to fight and win at sea,” he
said.
LCDR Cox said the minehunter was ready to respond to a
range of Fleet operational taskings including strategic route surveys and also a deployment to the
South West Pacific with HMAS
Huon later this year.
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Navy
NEWS
April 25, 2013
03
Sydney
set for
7th Fleet
Photo: ABIS Nicolas Gonzalez
Michael Brooke
Navy will take another important step
toward operating a task group with
Hobart-class DDGs and Canberra-class
LHDs when HMAS Sydney embeds with
the US Navy’s Seventh Fleet next month.
BREAKING HABITS: (L-R) LS Adam Wallace, MIDN Edward Hodge, AB James Norton, CO
Sydney CMDR Karl Brinckmann, PO Aaron Howearth, AB Steven Simpson and AB Paul Nash get
ready to quit smoking on board Sydney at Fleet Base East.
Photo: ABIS Nicholas Gonzalez
Kicking butt on board
Michael Brooke
HMAS Sydney’s 7th Fleet
embed promises to be a challenging time for those taking
up the captain’s challenge to
give up smoking.
CO Sydney CMDR Karl
Brinckmann said the opportunity to quit smoking during the
deployment would help sailors
improve their health, save
money and assist the ship’s
adopted charity.
“I have been a smoker for
25 years but now it is time to
stop and I am looking forward
to the benefits to my health
and wallet,” he said.
The challenge is voluntary
for personnel on board Sydney.
“I don’t want to force anyone, but those who take up the
challenge will stop smoking
after we have been at sea for a
few days and have settled into
our routine,” CMDR Brinckmann said.
“Anyone who takes up the
challenge will be improving
their health and, based on
someone who smokes a pack
a day, will save $2760 during
the deployment.”
To help smokers kick the
habit, CMDR Brinckmann has
acquired enough nicotine gum
and patches for 40 personnel.
The officers and sailors
who participate in the challenge will each pay a $20 entry
fee, which is equivalent to one
packet of cigarettes.
CMDR Brinckmann said
the entry fees and any other
money saved that otherwise
would have been spent on
cigarettes could be donated to
the ship’s adopted charity, the
Infants’ Home in Ashfield.
Any person who resumes
smoking on the deployment will
automatically forfeit their entry
fee. The challenge is supported
by Director General Navy
Health CDRE Liz Rushbrook
who has donated $100 to the
ship’s charity.
“I strongly support any
initiative that brings a direct
health benefit to our personnel,” she said.
“I wish Sydney the best
for her deployment and look
forward to regular updates on
how the team is progressing in
their desire to quit smoking.”
Sydney’s stop smoking
campaign coincides with the
release of the amended Joint
Health Command directive for
management of smoking cessation in nicotine-dependent
Defence members.
For further information visit: http://
intranet.defence.gov.au/home/documents/DATA/ADFPUBS/HPD/HD225.
PDF
Sydney was scheduled to depart Fleet
Base East on April 22 for Japan to participate in a range of multinational maritime
exercises with the George Washington
carrier strike group.
CO Sydney CMDR Karl Brinckmann
said his ship would conduct carrier strike
group integration and participate in exercises, including Talisman Sabre 13, while
operating as a unit of the strike group’s
Destroyer Squadron 15.
“The embed with the Nimitz-class
George Washington carrier strike group
in Yokosuka, Japan, will enable Sydney
and Navy to increase knowledge and
skills relating to air defence procedures,
strike group integration and other highend defence capabilities,” he said.
Sydney’s embed reflects Navy’s forward-thinking approach to training in
order to upskill sailors and absorb gamechanging technologies.
“The opportunity to embed into a carrier strike group will greatly enhance the
Navy’s preparation for the DDGs, which
feature the Aegis combat system,” CMDR
Brinckmann said.
Sydney’s deployment represents a premium opportunity for the crew to gain an
intimate working knowledge of how warships interact in a strike group to achieve
a vast array of different missions, including protecting a high-value asset such as
a carrier or LHD.
In preparation for the embed, Sydney’s
communications suite has been enhanced
to improve interoperability with the US
Navy, while the crew have been busy
digesting lessons from HMAS Darwin’s
experiences with the Seventh Fleet and at
RIMPAC.
“We have the benefit of hindsight
from Darwin’s experience and we in turn
expect to have experiences that will help
the RAN to operate our DDGs and LHDs
in a carrier strike group type structure,”
CMDR Brinckmann said.
Sydney’s ship’s company will use the
first leg of the voyage from Fleet Base
East to Guam to conduct damage control
exercises and other drills in preparation
for the embed.
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04
NEWS
April 25, 2013
Island paradise rescue
Sharon Palmer
A POSTING to a tropical paradise
may seem like a dream assignment,
but it’s not all snorkelling and sunbaking.
WHAT A DAY: Above,
LCDR Alan Willmore
stands in front of the
canoe, now undergoing
repairs after it partially
sank. Inset, the crew
being rescued.
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A Navy officer has helped save
the lives of a group of canoeists off
the coast of the Republic of Palau.
Working alongside the US Coast
Guard and the Palau Division of
Maritime Law Enforcement, LCDR
Alan Willmore assisted in the rescue
of 10 canoeists whose 17m voyaging
canoe had partially sunk in waters
90 nautical miles north-east of Palau
on March 4.
He said the rescue was made
possible, and easier, by the preparedness of all aboard the canoe.
“The crew had planned their
training voyage well and had the
foresight to provide a plan of their
passage before departing,” LCDR
Willmore said.
“Apart from their survival stores,
they also had a sat-phone, which
they used to call up details of their
emergency.
“The first information I received
came to me via a phone call at home
at around 7am from the Chief at
Marine Law,” LCDR Willmore said.
“I was informed that a vessel
described as a traditional canoe,
which had been conducting a navigational training voyage en route from
Koror to Yap, in rough seas.
“The number of people on board
was not known at the time.”
LCDR Willmore said the canoe
was hit by a freak wave at about
midnight. “The weather at the time
of the incident was choppy and one
hull of the canoe was swamped by
the wave,” he said.
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ABOUT PALAU
PALAU – often referred to as Belau
– consists of the far-western portion of the Caroline Islands, including the larger islands of Angaur,
Babulthuap, Eil Malk, Koror, Peleiu
and Urukthapel.
For more than 30 years it was a
part of the United Nations Trust
Territory of the Pacific under US
administration. It finally gained total
independence in 1994.
Palau is a beautiful tropical paradise, and one of the true unspoiled
destinations on the planet.
Most of the 100-plus islands are
small low-lying coral islands, ringed
by barrier reefs. The exception is
mountainous Babulthuap, volcanic
in origin.
“The crew gathered all emergency supplies, water and canned goods
to the dry hull and some of the crew
managed to cling to the floating hull
while three women were able to take
refuge in the small dingy carried
on board the canoe, before being
rescued.
“The authorities in Koror heard
about their dire situation about
6.30am and the vessel’s master and
crew were picked up by the M/V
Hyundai Unity between 11am and
midday the same day.”
The passengers were transferred
to the USCG cutter Washington and
transported back to Koror, while
their canoe, Alingano Maisu, was
retrieved and towed back two days
later.
LCDR Willmore said his role in
the rescue was relaying information
The economy revolves around agriculture and fishing, but scuba diving in the pristine reefs is a growing-in-popularity tourism activity.
to the relevant authorities to ensure
accurate information was given to
rescuers.
“I asked the Chief for the satphone number however despite
numerous attempts the sat-phone
was not contactable,” he said.
“I then rang the operations
manager at the Search and Rescue
Centre in Guam and informed her of
the sinking.
“Later in the morning, during the search, we did manage to
contact the master of the canoe and
from then on we were able to provide vital information to the rescue
centre covering vessel description,
names and correct composition of
crew list, the state of the partially
sunken vessel and what survival
equipment they had on board.”
BEFORE AND AFTER: Left, the traditional
canoe Alingano Maisu sails off the coast of
Palau. Above, under repair in Koror.
Program’s frontline role
The PPB Program is also an
LCDR Alan Willmore took up
important component of regional
the post of Maritime Surveillance
Adviser (MSA) in Palau in February responses to transnational crime,
with the platforms often operating
2011.
He said it was a challenging yet
rewarding role.
“Achieving small steps has to be
your objective as an MSA and it is
rewarding to see the Police Marine
Division I work with going about
the business of maritime security in
Palau’s exclusive economic zone,”
he said.
“They operate similarly to
Australia’s patrol boats in covering
a considerable amount of sea space
– the difference being they have
just the one asset to accomplish the
task.”
He forms part of the Defence
Pacific Patrol Boat (PPB) Program,
a region-wide Defence Cooperation
Program initiative that provides
participating Pacific states with a
sovereign asset to protect and survey
their maritime boundaries.
closely with the various transnational crime units throughout the
South Pacific, as well as the Forum
Fisheries Agency in Honiara.
Underpinning Australia’s
Defence engagement in the Pacific,
the program has provided 22 patrol
boats to 12 participating Pacific
countries between 1987 and 1997.
“The PPBs provide participating
countries with a credible maritime
surveillance capability, enabling
them to more effectively monitor
the maritime resources in their own
exclusive economic zone,” LCDR
Willmore said.
“They are also used by these
nations for tasks such as quarantine
enforcement, search and rescue
operations, disaster relief and general
police work, thereby contributing to
nation building in the region.”
The Defence Adviser South West
Pacific based in Honiara, CMDR
Geoff Turner, said the PPB program
was enhanced by Navy’s network of
in-country MSAs who, along with
a CPO technical adviser, provided a
wide range of mariner support, surveillance techniques, administration,
ongoing maintenance and logistic
support, and training for patrol boat
crews.
“MSAs like LCDR Willmore
are on the frontline of Australia’s
regional engagement in the Pacific
and in many cases are Australia’s
Defence advisers to the individual
nation’s government,” CMDR
Turner said.
“Their positions are an invaluable part of Australia’s interests in
our region.”
MSAs are located in Papua New
Guinea, Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon
Islands, Cook Islands, Tonga,
Micronesia, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Palau
and Marshall Islands.
NEWS
April 25, 2013
05
Guards prepare
for solemn day
STANDING PROUD:
LS Simon Fitzgerald
stands outside
the Australian War
Memorial in Canberra
before deploying to
participate in Anzac Day
ceremonies at Gallipoli.
Photo: Lauren Black
Darryl Johnston
Australia’s Federation Guard
(AFG) Turkish and European contingents fine-tuned their drills at the
Australian War Memorial in the leadup to Anzac Day ceremonies on the
Gallipoli Peninsula and the French and
Belgian battlefields.
Guards perfected their precision and timing during the opening
and closing ceremonies of the Hall of
Remembrance and in the forecourt of
the national shrine.
A total of 34 guards make up the
contingents with 13 representatives
from Army, 12 from Air Force and
nine from Navy. The contingents also
include three women.
Fourteen members will be in
Gallipoli and 20 in France/Belgium.
On the Gallipoli Peninsula, the
AFG will stand as solemn guards at
the Gallipoli Memorial throughout the
Anzac Day Dawn Service.
A t Vi l l e r s - B r e t o n n e u x a n d
Bullecourt in France and Ypres in
Belgium, they will feature during
Anzac Day commemorations and at the
Menin Gate service.
For many it is their first trip to the
battlefields on Anzac Day.
LS Simon Fitzgerald is Detachment
Commander, drill instructor and
Catafalque Party Commander. He
joined the AFG in January last year.
He said being part of the Gallipoli
contingent gave him an opportunity to
see another country, experience their
culture and conduct his duties in a very
significant location.
“Before deploying to Gallipoli we
performed a number of tasks to display
our capabilities and assure the senior
staff they had chosen the right people,”
LS Fitzgerald said.
“Not only drills, but there is a lot
of physical and mental preparation as
well to ensure everyone appreciates
where they are going, the importance
of what we are doing and who we are
representing.”
When LS Fitzgerald stands guard at
Gallipoli his thoughts will be with family members who fought in WWII.
“One grandfather fought in the
Army and another in the Air Force. So
it gives me great pride to represent my
service and my grandfathers on such
a significant day at Gallipoli,” he said.
AB Kathleen Clifford will participate in commemorations in VillersBretonneux and Bullecourt.
“This is the first time I have been
overseas with the AFG on such an
important event and I will also celebrate my 23rd birthday in France,”
she said.
But it won’t all be celebrations for
the young sailor.
“I am a bit nervous,” AB Clifford
said.
“A lot of people will be watching
our every move, including my family in Dubbo. But, overall, I am really
proud and I know my family is proud.”
LS Andrew Cleghorn is Catafalque
Party Commander for the Belgium
contingent.
He has undertaken ceremonial
duties with the AFG all over Australia
and in Papua New Guinea during
Kokoda commemorations and said he
was excited to be part of commemorations in Belgium.
“There is no doubt the emotions
will be running high for everyone in the
AFG. To represent Australia and be part
of remembrance services on the Western
Front is going to be amazing,” he said.
OC AFG MAJ Andre Le Masle said
the tempo for the AFG would increase
in the lead up to the Anzac Centenary
in 2015 and there were opportunities
for guardsmen to travel to Gallipoli,
Villers-Bretonneux or Ypres to take
part in commemoration activities.
“Any member of the ADF who is
interested in representing their service
and the ADF should direct their expression of interest to their career adviser,”
he said.
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NEWS
April 25, 2013
Modern-day Romeo
07
400 REASONS TO
CELEBRATE
CAPT Scott Lockey
Navy’s first MH-60R Seahawk
Romeo is taking shape in the US
having just completed a road trip
from Troy in Alabama to Stratford
in Connecticut where the second of
three assembly phases has started.
The helicopter is manufactured
by two prime contractors in the US
– Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and
Lockheed Martin.
Each aircraft takes 14 months to
manufacture, with assembly occurring in three sites in the US.
The first four RAN Romeos are
in various stages of production and
were recently inspected by members
of the Air 9000 Phase 8 Resident
Project Team on a compliance assurance visit to the Sikorsky production
facility in Troy.
Resident Project Team Leader
CMDR Nyree Cornelius was the first
RAN member to see the Romeo in
production and said seeing them inperson really struck home how real
and close this new capability was to
being realised.
“The MH-60R Seahawk Romeo
is no longer just the ‘selected solution’ for the RAN’s future antisubmarine and anti-surface warfare
capability,” CMDR Cornelius said.
“This capability is now coming
and it is coming fast, with aircraft
production on track for Navy acceptance of the first two helicopters in
December this year.”
The first RAN aircraft in produc-
MAKING HISTORY: Inset,
CMDR Andy Lynch, CMDR
Nyree Cornelius and Jason
Lambert, of Sikorsky, in front
of the RAN’s first Romeo,
main photo.
tion is the 168th Romeo to be manufactured. R168, will be known as
N48-001 once in service.
“Inspecting the first RAN Romeo
on completion of its first stage of
production is a memory I will no
doubt treasure, and spin yarns about,
for years to come,” CMDR Cornelius
said.
“The DMO, CDG, RAN, US Navy
and its contractors have been working
hard since the Government approved
this acquisition, but 2013 is clearly
the make or break year.
“The current concerted, cooperative and focused team efforts being
made by all parties will need to continue throughout 2013 to ensure the
successful delivery of this capability
and that the MH-60R in-service date
can be achieved in early 2014.”
N48-001 is now on Sikorsky’s
final assembly line in Stratford where
it is being fitted with engines, gear-
boxes and the Lockheed Martin produced ‘Common Cockpit’.
Project Air 9000 Phase 8 was
approved by Government in June 2011
at a cost of $3.2 billion. The project
will acquire 24 Romeos, a range of
training devices and mission and support systems from the US Navy via a
Foreign Military Sales agreement.
The Romeo will deliver Navy’s
embarked aviation combat capability
for the next 30 years.
Lockheed Martin delivered its 400th
Common Cockpit avionics suite to the
US Navy on February 26.
The cockpit is common to both the
MH-60R Seahawk Romeo and the US
Navy’s MH-60S Maritime Support helicopter and includes four large, flat-panel,
multi-function, night-vision-compatible
colour display screens, which provide the
crew with instant updates on everything
from weather to weapons and sensors.
Former WOATV Andrew Roach, of
the Air 9000 Phase 8 Resident Project
Team, saw the RAN Common Cockpit
installed on a test bench ready for
acceptance testing.
“It was a clear reflection of the
advancement in avionics systems since
the days of the S‑70B‑2. The four fullcolour mission displays and associated
components appear nothing out of the
ordinary in terms of hardware, however,
when the system is powered up and
operating, it is then you can really begin
to appreciate the next generation in
cockpit design,” Mr Roach said.
“Clearly the cockpit is all about operating and fighting the Seahawk Romeo
and its sensors and weapons. It will also
provide an important tool for maintenance to access and assess the many
on board systems.”
Lockheed Martin’s 400th cockpit will
shortly be installed in N48-001.
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NEWS
April 25, 2013
ON PATROL: Boarding party member LS Jarrad Tierney, above left, operates one of Toowoomba’s RHIBs, while
Toowoomba patrols international waters, above right, as seen through the clouds from her Seahawk while in MEAO.
Photos: SGT William Guthrie
Purple Pony at
half-way mark
HMAS Toowoomba, affectionately known to work closely with the United States.
“Australia and the US have always worked
FAST WORK: HMAS Toowoomba’s boarding party conducts as the Purple Pony, is midway through closely in this area of operations, with the
her
six-month
deployment,
patrolling
the
fast-roping insertion training from the ship’s Seahawk.
expanses of the Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Americans appreciating our contribution,”
Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and Indian CMDR Zilko said.
“They see the RAN as an extremely
Ocean.
professional and capable outfit and admire
Toowoomba is assigned to Combined
our capability.”
Task Force 150 to maintain maritime secuRecent port visits to Muscat, Salalah,
rity and conduct counter terrorism activities. Abu Dhabi, Karachi and Dubai have also
In three months on operations, allowed international relationship building.
Toowoomba has conducted five flag verifiOperations Officer LCDR Jason
cation boardings and three approach assist McBain said the International Defence
visits, while relentlessly gathering intel- Expo in Abu Dhabi and participating in
ligence via her sophisticated surveillance Exercise Aman in Pakistan were highlights
and reconnaissance assets.
of the deployment so far.
Her focus is to enforce maritime secuExercise Aman involved ships from
rity in the MEAO as part of the multina- the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh,
tional Combined Maritime Forces.
Pakistan, China, Turkey and the UK.
CO Toowoomba CMDR Brendon Zilko
“Exercise Aman allows like-minded
said the deployment had enabled his crew nations to operate together to develop their
interoperability and promote regional security and stability,” LCDR McBain said.
Another highlight was visiting the
Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in
Mombasa during their 48-hour operational
port visit from April 3-5.
CMDR Zilko, accompanied by Defence
Attache African Union COL James Davey
and the ship’s officers, visited the grave
of Engine Room Artificer 4th Class
George Hiatt who died in Mombasa on
November 12, 1942.
Engine Room Artificer IV (CPO) Hiatt
is the only Australian serviceman among
the 199 Commonwealth war burials in
Mombasa.
CHAP Andrew Lewis conducted a short
memorial service reflecting on the loss of
CPO Hiatt and its impact on his widow, son,
shipmates and nation.
IN MEMORY: CHAP Andrew Lewis, SWO Ian Harrison,
LCDR Jason McBain, Defence Attaché Africa COL James
Davey and CO Toowoomba CMDR Brendon Zilko visit the
CLIMB ABOARD: Boarding party members return after Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Mombasa.
PORT VISIT: PO John Curren watches as Toowoomba
completing training from RHIBs.
Photo: LEUT Karl Brightman departs Port Rashid in the United Arab Emirates.
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NEWS
April 25, 2013
09
Shooters target top shot
Michael Brooke
NAVY shooters will hone their marksmanship skills at HMAS Cerberus for 10 days
before launching their quest for victory at the
2013 Australian Army Skill at Arms Meeting
(AASAM) next month.
Eleven Navy marksmen will benefit from
intense training from former top shots of the
Navy.
The 11 marksmen will vie for the honour
of being crowned Navy’s Top Shot while carrying the challenge to Army’s sharpshooters
as well as a host of international competitors at the Combined Arms Training Centre at
Puckapunyal from May 6-16.
Kuttabul’s POMUSN Gordon Orr,
ABBM Lewis Sullivan and ABBM Mitchell
Vandergraaf earned their berths in the Navy
team after displaying exceptional marksmanship with the F-88 or 9mm Browning pistol at
a trial at Holsworthy range earlier this month.
The Navy’s reigning top shot, PO Orr, said
he was confident the Navy team would do
well this year because of better preparation.
“This is the first time in five AASAMs that
we have a dedicated training camp with mentors to help us develop our skills,” he said.
“In previous years we have struggled because we have rolled straight into
AASAM with only one or two range-shoots
under our belts.”
PO Orr, of RAN Band Sydney, said
AASAM 2013 marked a rebuilding phase for
Navy, which did not enter a team in the 2012
competition due to lack of numbers.
“We have a good, young squad this year,
who will benefit from the experience of competing in their first AASAM,” said the clarinet
and saxophone player.
Kuttabul’s newcomers, AB Sullivan and
AB Vandergraaf, will compete in the F-88 and
9mm pistol events respectively.
AB Vandergraaf said AASAM would mark
a major learning curve for him as a pistol
shooter.
“I don’t really know what to expect
because I haven’t entered before, but I’m sure
the experience will enhance my marksmanship skills,” he said.
“I did some shooting on the farm when
I was young, so that carried through when I
joined the Navy and I really enjoy competitive shooting.”
AB Sullivan will represent Navy in both
the F-88 and 9mm pistol events.
“I jumped at the chance to represent Navy
because I knew I would benefit from the
training,” he said.
With scores of around 190 in LF5/6, AB
Sullivan is aiming to qualify for a marksmanship badge, if not the distinction of being
Navy’s Top Shot.
COMWAR CDRE Peter Leavy said
the proficiency of naval personnel in the
use of small arms was a key theme of New
Generation Navy.
“Participation in AASAM is an excellent
opportunity to reinvigorate the Navy’s profile
in this important war-fighting skill,” he said.
AASAM consists of combat-focused
matches, using in-service weapons such as the
F-88/F-88SA1/F-88C and M-4 service rifle
with standard 1.5 optic, or Wildcat enhanced
optic sight, F-89 Minimi and MAG-58 light
support weapon, 9mm self load pistol and
SR 98.
AASAM consists of four major components: open sniper; Champion Shot of Army,
Navy and Air Force; individual and team
events; and the international competition.
AIMING HIGH: ABBM Lewis Sullivan, POMUSN Gordon Orr and ABBM Mitchell Vandergraaf
adopt the kneeling position during Steyr drills in preparation for the Australian Army Skills at Arms
Meeting (AASAM) in Victoria. Photo: ABIS Chantell Bianchi
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10
NEWS
April 25, 2013
Toward a common goal
Michael Brooke
Fleet Support Unit Australia (FSUAust) is in its next stage of implementation and is an active participant in the
reform of Navy maintenance.
From March 18-22, staff from across
the organisation conducted a Reform
Improvement Event to identify aspects
of waste and improve effectiveness in the
way the organisation manages its tasks.
Key staff from FSU-SE (HMAS
Kuttabul) and FSU-W (HMAS Stirling)
met to discuss methods, techniques and
tools that could help the bases better do
their jobs.
Assistant General Manager CAPT
Gavin Irwin said the workshop identified
FSU-Aust as an opportunity-rich environment where effort could be reduced to
enhance efficiency, significantly benefiting Navy.
FSU-W Operations Manager LEUT
Emily Ruffin said she went to the workshop to share and swap ideas and lessons.
“The workshop identified issues created by local guidelines that must give
way to improved and standardised work
processes and best practices developed in
cooperation,” LEUT Ruffin said.
“Working together to illustrate the
existing processes as flowcharts, clearly
highlighted inefficiencies. We were able
to streamline the process and procedures
to create better flow.
“Through working together it was a
lot easier to see where the waste in time,
effort and money was.”
Operations planning manager FSUSE WO Brad Lahey said he had high
expectations about improving FSUAust’s reputation with its customers.
“The people at FSU-Aust work very
hard and I understand their frustration
with challenging processes,” he said.
WO Lahey cited one example of
the quality management process where
paperwork experienced time delays
because it went through many unnecessary loops.
“Once that process was illustrated
through a flowchart the solution became
obvious, which was to ensure the paperwork goes direct from the floor to the
quality manager,” he said.
“It was a simple solution that should
be implemented immediately.”
WO Lahey said although competition
was fierce between FSU-SE and FSU-W
the workshop enabled staff to see value
in each others work processes and solutions to mutual problems and issues.
“This workshop demonstrated that the
coming together of east and west as FSUAust has real benefits for Navy,” he said.
As a result of the workshop, an
improved maintenance task management
process will be trialled as a pilot scheme
at both FSU-SE and FSU-W.
After the successful introduction of
the pilot, the process will be refined and
implemented across the remainder of the
organisation.
SHARING IDEAS: (Front row L-R) General Manager Jason Aquilina, Deputy General Manager CAPT
Gavin Irwin and Operations Manager Denise Drabbel participate in the FSU workshop at HMAS Kuttabul.
Photo: ABIS Cassie McBride
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LCDR Maria Triantos
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Building the scaled down workable
engine, which is theirs to keep, develops
skills required to meet Navy’s future
engineering capability.
Under the direction of Head of Navy
Engineering RADM Mick Uzzell, Navy
has created a national FSU-Australia
organisation with the intent of increasing and maintaining the skills of technical sailors by doing more hands-on
maintenance work.
Established in April 2012, the Skills
Development Centre (SDC) program
provides an appropriate and targeted
environment for junior marine technical
sailors to consolidate and develop their
trade skills before completing their task
journals.
The first graduates of the MT2010
Initial Technical Trade (ITT) course
began their four-month training consolidation period at SDC on March 5.
The program covers diesel engine
overhaul and maintenance, welding and
fabrication including the production of
a tool box or small scale ship, building electrical circuits in different configurations, valve refurbishment including repairing valve discs and bodies,
machining and lapping of valve components and pump refurbishment/alignment.
The final assessment is the manufacture of a pump shaft.
SDC Training Coordinator Michael
Burkart said sailors and Navy received
huge benefits through the program.
“The main focus of the program is
to assist sailors in progressing with their
task journal,” Mr Burkart said.
“We have the sailors here for up to
HELP AT HAND: ABMT Kaleb Cohen
is shown how to prepare his engine
before starting it for the first time.
Photo: LCDR Maria Triantos
six months and once they realise the
activities they will undertake, especially
building and running their own engine,
we immediately notice an increase in
their enthusiasm.
“The program gives them a taste of
the different trades open to the MT category, so when they choose the stream
they want to go down in the future they
have a fair idea of what’s involved.”
Recent program graduate ABMT
Kaleb Cohen said he had some initial reservations about returning to
Cerberus.
“I wasn’t sure about coming back to
Cerberus but I enjoyed my time in the
SDC,” AB Cohen said.
“I really enjoyed building the engine
most and seeing it actually run.”
NEWS
April 25, 2013
11
Commemorating a
long relationship
the Naval Centenary Memorial was
dedicated on April 9 in a commanding position on Kangaroo Point Cliffs
above the former headquarters of the
Queensland Marine Defence Force.
OLD FRIENDS: CN VADM Ray
Griggs and his former CO, CAPT
Mike Petch (retd), unveil the
plaque recognising the 325 junior
recruits that passed through
HMAS Cerberus from 1963-1964.
Photo: LSIS Paul McCallum
Young friends
remembered
SBLT Katherine Mulheron
THE 50th anniversary of the training of junior recruits at HMAS
Cerberus was commemorated on
April 6 with a ceremony attended by
CN VADM Ray Griggs.
A plaque was unveiled in the
Cerberus Memorial Gardens in honour of the service of junior recruits.
It is inscribed with the message, “In memory of the boys who
trained as junior recruits in HMAS
Cerberus in 1963-1964 and who
served in the Royal Australian Navy
in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping
since 1963.”
From 1963-64, 325 junior
recruits started their naval journey
at Cerberus.
Of those original boy sailors,
more than 50 older and much wiser
men attended the commemorative
service and dusted off memories of
training hard and sleeping in hammocks.
Giving the welcome address,
CAPT Mike Petch (retd) reflected
with great pride on his period as
CO HMAS Jervis Bay alongside his
navigator, the then LEUT Griggs.
CAPT Petch said he was not
surprised to hear of VADM Griggs’
appointment to CN and was honoured by his presence at the memorial.
Memorial organiser Tim Mackey,
who enlisted in the 1964 intake, said
seeing everyone at the ceremony
was special.
“A lot of the men here haven’t
seen each other since leaving training, but you see a name and you
feel like you’ve met an old mate,”
he said.
“Watching CN and Mike Petch
together was really like watching
old shipmates exchange a yarn about
their shared times. They’re the epitome of Navy’s common bond and
that feeling of inclusion.”
The Junior Recruit Training
Scheme was in effect from 19601984 and accepted male sailors as young as 15 to do a year’s
junior recruit training, followed
by employment category training
before they joined the Fleet.
During the scheme, training
was held at HMAS Leeuwin from
1960-1984 as well as Cerberus, and
almost 13,000 boys entered service.
Many of those sailors experienced war and conflict and saw
active service as 17-year-old members in a variety of units during the
Indonesian Confrontation and the
Vietnam War.
Many continued to serve in the
Gulf Wars and also took part in
peace operations in recent decades.
Celebrating the power of prayer
Michael Brooke
Naval chapels around the country
marked the National Day of Prayer
for Defence by asking God to watch
over deployed ADF personnel and
veterans who have returned from
operations.
Chapels at HMA Ships Stirling,
Cerberus, Kuttabul and Watson
opened their gangways to conduct
prayer services on April 5.
Kuttabul held a non-denominational time of prayer in the chapel at
Garden Island that was attended by
sailors from resident units and warships alongside Fleet Base East and
APS personnel.
The prayer session was conducted by CHAP Colin Tett who said the
prayers were devoted to the wellbeing of ADF personnel.
“I wondered where people’s
focus would be, because very often
it is on family,” he said.
“But today, the focus was on
people who are deployed, preparing
for deployment, or have returned
from active service.”
A number of prayers were for
people struggling with mental and
emotional problems stemming from
deployments.
STRONG FAITH: CHAP Colin Tett leads personnel in prayer during
a service for National Day of Prayer in the Garden Island Chapel at
HMAS Kuttabul.
Photo: ABIS Nicolas Gonzalez
The power of prayer was also
a major theme among personnel,
who heard one story about how
a Defence padre asked God to
improve the weather as a force protection measure in Iraq in 2007.
According to CHAP Tett, bad
weather had grounded the UAVs
that provided security and surveillance for the Australian Overwatch
Battle Group-West III, but when the
chaplain wrote a prayer asking for
God’s help, the weather suddenly
improved and the UAVs were again
operational.
“The thing we pray for most
often is for peace, which as ADF
personnel, we become God’s agents
in making those prayers come true,”
CHAP Tett said.
The Kuttabul chapel is 140
years old and is one of the oldest
Defence chapels in Australia. To
ensure it remains accessible to everyone, it was recently fitted with an
elevator.
between the people of Queensland and
the Navy in which so many of us here
today served or are still serving – a
memorial that honours the centenary of
that Navy and a memorial that commemorates those naval people who paid the
supreme sacrifice in the service of their
country.”
In a special message GovernorGeneral Quentin Bryce said, “This year
we mark the 110 th anniversary of the
radio trials that led to the first Australian
naval ship-to-shore message transmitted from HMQS Gayundah off Moreton
Island to the first Australian naval shore
wireless station established on this
memorial site. I commend your efforts to
highlight the historic links between the
State of Queensland, St Mary’s Church
and the RAN, and to strengthen those
connections with this significant memorial.”
After a march organised by the RAN
Communications Branch Association,
the memorial plaque was unveiled in the
gardens of the Naval Church in Brisbane
in front of a large crowd by Queensland
Governor Penelope Wensley.
Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane
Phillip Aspinall gave the dedication before wreaths were laid by VIPs,
including RADM Tony Dalton on behalf
of CN.
Memorial Committee Chair CMDR
Tony Townsend (retd) said the memorial was a special reminder of the strong
relationship between Queensland and
Navy.
“Many of the historical reminders of
our history in Queensland are now commercial redevelopments,” he said.
“But we have built a permanent See page 15 for more on the 110th annivermemorial, unique to Brisbane, which sary of the first naval ship-to-shore wireless
celebrates the long history of relations transmission.
CENTENARY CELEBRATION: Archbishop of Brisbane Phillip Aspinall,
RADM Anthony Dalton, Queensland Governor Penelope Wensley, CMDR
Tony Townsend (retd) and CMDR Lachlan King stand beside the newly
unveiled Naval Centenary Memorial.
Photo: LACW Kylie Gibson
12
13
CENTRESPREAD
April 25, 2013
AT SEA: HMAS Perth
conducts sea qualification
trials in the WAXA.
TOP TRIO: HMAS Dechaineux leads HMA Ships Waller and
Sheean in formation.
Photo: LSIS Nina Fogliani
AIMED AND READY: HMAS Perth’s five-inch gun fires on a surface target in the
West Australian Exercise Area.
HOLD ON TIGHT: HMAS Perth crashes through a large swell
at high speed.
TOGETHER: HMAS Dechaineux
surfaces in the WAXA to rendezvous
with HMAS Perth.
ON WATCH: LSBM Jayden Blaber closes
up on the 5.56mm Minimi light machine gun
during a force protection exercise.
FULL STEAM
AHEAD
A
HMAS Perth is ready for the months
ahead thanks to a unique and
innovative approach to training.
FTER completing an at-sea
Fleet technical assessment
in the Western Australian
Exercise Area, HMAS
Perth is on track for an exciting rest
of the year.
Perth returned to sea in February
after a four-month docking period in
Western Australia.
This year’s activities will include
ongoing anti-ship missile defence
(ASMD) trials, Exercise Talisman
Sabre, advanced evolved Sea
Sparrow missile live-firing trials at
the Pacific Missile Range Facility in
ON THE JOB: ABMT Aaron Jones mans
PREPARED: ABML-C Daniel Healey, a
the sound powered engineering circuit in Aft
member of the pump and flood party, repairs a
Repair Base during a damage control exercise. pipe using clamps on the flight deck.
PRACTICE: Boarding officer LEUT Kyle
Rensford conducts a 9mm pistol shoot off the
flight deck.
TEAMWORK: Boatswain’s mates fire blank
rounds from the Browning 12.7mm machine
gun during an anti-air serial.
Hawaii and the International Fleet
Review.
The assessment was combined
with a number of more advanced
warship serials as the ship progresses
to full unit readiness.
CO Perth CAPT Lee Goddard
said the work-up approach had been
a little different than usual.
“Due to programming constraints
relating to the ASMD Phase 2
upgrade, Perth will not be conducting a traditional work-up package,
so an innovative and more flexible
approach has been developed by
the ship in conjunction with Sea
Training Group, Surface Force
Group and other key Navy stakeholders,” CAPT Goddard said.
The training package will be
conducted concurrently with a number of important ASMD and Anzac
multi-link upgrade trials with the
required Sea Training Group training, mentoring and assessment periods spread out over a three-month
period.
“Although unconventional, this
innovative approach will maximise
all training opportunities involving
IN CONTROL: A breathing apparatus attack
party member enters the steering gear room
during a damage control exercise.
Photos: ABIS Jayson Tufrey
the full spectrum of the Navy’s
training organisation while taking
advantage of both at-sea assets and
ashore simulation facilities,” CAPT
Goddard said.
“The end effect will result in
Perth achieving the required unit
readiness standards in good time
before deploying overseas and
becoming available for potential
tasking across the full spectrum of
naval operations.”
To start this process, Perth was
most recently at sea in the WAXA
with three Collins-class submarines
TREATMENT: ABML-S Kimberly Williamson
works to stabilise a ‘casualty’ during a damage
control exercise.
– HMA Ships Dechaineux, Sheean
and Waller.
This presented the ideal training environment for Perth to conduct and practise the full range of
anti-submarine warfare tactics and
exercises with Sea Training Group
surface and submarine experts.
“The end result was that Perth was
assessed as unit ready in submarine
warfare, which bodes well for later in
the year when we will play a prominent role as task group commander
leading up to Exercise Talisman
Sabre,” CAPT Goddard said.
IN TOUCH: Medical emergency team member
POML-S Kim Thompson communicates via
UHF radio during a casualty exercise.
14
GANGWAY
April 25, 2013
WITH A SMILE: LSML-S Heidi Layland manages the canteen on
board HMAS Parramatta.
Photo: LSIS Jo Dilorenzo
YUMMY TREATS: ABML-C Corey Roberts displays
Baklava and chocolate brownies prepared for Harmony
Day at HMAS Kuttabul. Photo: ABIS Nicolas Gonzalez
WISE WORDS: PO Justin Goodall speaks with boarding
team members during training in Darwin Harbour.
EDUCATE: Instructor PO Gerald Sullivan takes a break on the
Boarding Officer Course in Darwin.
IN CHECK: LEUT Boman Trezise, of HMAS Parramatta, BE PREPARED: ABATA Daniel Debritt, right, of HMAS Melbourne, TOP VIEW: Officer of the watch LEUT Kane Stuart
helps prepare the refuelling lines for helicopter in-flight refuelling in stands on the bridge wing on board HMAS Newcastle at
conducts checks on his boarding equipment.
Photo: LSIS Jo Dilorenzo Jervis Bay.
Photo: ABIS Nicolas Gonzalez Fleet Base East.
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HISTORY
April 25, 2013
15
Start of a long association
Communication is essential to modern war-fighting, yet it also
played a vital role in Navy’s development, Lauren Norton reports.
‘O
n April 10, 1903, while
conducting exercises in
Moreton Bay in company
with sister ship Paluma,
His Majesty’s Queensland Ship
Gayundah passed, using a bamboo
fore-top mast measuring 110 feet and
wireless telegraph equipment, the
RAN’s first ‘Marconigram’ from sea,”
CDRE Rob Elliott told guests at an
historic dinner on April 9.
Director General Maritime
Development CDRE Elliott
was a guest speaker at the RAN
Communications Branch Association
dinner at Kangaroo Point – the location
of the wireless station that received the
historic message.
It was received in a small shed in
what is now St Mary’s churchyard via
a 40m antenna mast and read: “Gun
drill continued this afternoon and was
fairly successful. Now off Mud Island.
Blowing squally, cold and rainy. Prize
firing tomorrow. Marconi insulators
were interfered with by rain but easily
rectified and communication has since
been good. Good night.”
This year marks the 110th anniversary of that message – the first Navy
ship-to-shore wireless transmission.
“Effective and efficient communications at sea is, and has been, the
holy grail of the profession of arms at
sea since the Grecian times,” CDRE
Elliott said.
“The ability to relay information and coordinate actions with one
another remains at the heart of tactical
and operational advantage and is ageless in its execution.”
The message showed how wireless
telegraphy could overcome the limitations of lights and flags and led to the
establishment of the first Navy communications system.
This system, which evolved to
allow ships to deploy and maintain
vital links with Australia and its allies,
helped to usher Navy into the modern
era of war-fighting.
“In fact the last 113 years has
taken us from 10 words per minute
via flashing light into an era where
today’s technology offers line of sight
communications of greater than 10
megabytes per second,” CDRE Elliott
said.
“Indeed naval communications
remains an exciting place to work.”
This leap in capability, which the
fledgling RAN embraced, is similar to
what is on the horizon for Navy with
the introduction of new platforms.
“The parallels are significant as we
upskill our people for new capabilities
and equipment that we have had no
prior experience in operating,” CDRE
Elliott said.
“In capability terms the LHD is a
game changer and will shift the way
we conduct our amphibious training
and operations just as the arrival of
the first RAN fleet of ships in October
1913 shifted the thinking of those in
the Navy at the time.
“However, the LHD will not just
be shifting Navy and what it wants
to achieve, it will be about shifting
the ADF and accommodating what it
needs to achieve for the capability as
a whole.”
Historically, Navy has had an
emphasis on joint expeditionary capability, while communications have
been central in maintaining a cohesive
and effective Defence Force.
“If we consider one of the very
first combat experiences of the
RAN… Australia and New Zealand
had combined to create a naval and
military expeditionary force, which
set on August 19, 1914, just weeks
after the proclamation of war, to land
in Rabaul and then take the wireless
station at Bitapaka,” he said.
“This operation was a maritime
power projection mission enabled
by the ability to exercise local sea
control. The initial landings were
conducted by naval infantry who were
then subsequently supported by militia
forces landed from the transport ship.
“Today of course we still serve in
a joint environment, and as it was then
so it is now with communications as
the backbone of how we fight and win
at sea.”
NEW TECHNOLOGY:
HMQS Gayundah trials
ship-to-shore wireless
transmission in Moreton
Bay in 1903. The visible
bamboo extension was
strapped to her mast for
the trials.
Photo courtesy of the Australian
War Memorial
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16
FEATURES
April 25, 2013
What would
inspire you?
Fundraising for a worthy cause gave CMDR Doug Griffiths
some much-needed motivation, Michael Brooke reports.
M
OST people would
struggle to make it to
the finish line of an
ironman event, but
when CMDR Doug Griffiths
struggled to just get to the start
line he knew he needed to find a
new incentive.
A keen ironman, CMDR
Griffiths’ motivation plummeted
after returning from Afghanistan
four years ago.
Since then he has entered five
ironman events but, for a variety
of reasons, failed to start any of
them.
“Training and even getting to
the start-line was a struggle,” he
said.
But lethargy gave way to
inspiration when CMDR Griffiths
started competing to raise money
and awareness for the Soldier On
charity.
“Soldier On is the incentive I was looking for, because
it enables me to help the ADF’s
wounded warriors, which is something special to me after my time
in Afghanistan,” he said.
Motivation wasn’t an issue
when he completed the AsiaPacific Ironman Championships
in Melbourne last month, raising
$5200 for ADF personnel with
physical and emotional wounds.
“I finished the 3.8km swim,
180km cycle and 42km run in
11hr 56min,” he said.
“I was about 2hr 45min slower
than what I have done in the past,
but that didn’t matter.
“What mattered was raising
money and awareness while challenging myself to finish such a
gruelling event.”
The Commander of Australian
Mine Warfare and Clearance
Diving Task Group, CMDR
Griffiths said his posting in
Afghanistan as the chief of exploitation for the HQ ISAF counterIED branch made Soldier On an
obvious choice as the charity he
would support.
“When I contested the ironman I thought about a lot of things
including those members of the
ADF suffering from physical and
hidden trauma,” he said.
“An ironman is a long day,
but helping Soldier On gave me a
good feeling, which took a bit of
the pain away.”
Since 2004, CMDR Griffiths
has completed six ironman
events and is aiming to take on
the Ironman Cairns event on
June 9.
“Ironman is a fantastic sport
that helps you challenge yourself,
which explains why I am backing
up again for another one just 10
weeks later,” he said.
People can continue to donate at
www.everydayhero.com.au/douglas_griffiths
For more information about Soldier On
visit: www.soldieron.org.au
TIME CHALLENGE:
CMDR Doug Griffiths
competes in the
Asia-Pacific Ironman
Championships in
Melbourne.
FEATURES
April 25, 2013
17
Exploring future frontiers
A small team of aircraft technicians has traded
the flight deck for the desert, spearheading
Navy’s first push in unmanned aerial vehicle
maintenance, LSIS Paul Berry reports.
E
IGHT maintainers and one aeronautical engineering officer have
joined Army’s 20th Surveillance
and Target Acquisition (20
STA) Regiment at Gallipoli Barracks in
Brisbane to get hands-on maintenance
experience with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
The RQ-7B Shadow 200 provides
intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance support for land
force operations.
The group has just completed Exercise Dragon’s Challenge in
Shoalwater Bay – a two-month workup for Shadow Group 3, scheduled to
deploy to Afghanistan.
Navy technicians will form half of the
eight-person maintenance team.
LSATA Kent Hanson said the team
was looking forward to the deployment.
“It will be something completely new
for me – way different than what I’ve
ever done in manned aviation. Navy helicopters deploy to the Gulf on the back
of a ship, but never on land,” LS Hanson
said.
“Working with the Army has been a
different experience for us as well. Going
out bush and living in tents has made
us all step outside our comfort zones.
It’s been a great chance to broaden our
horizons.”
Since posting into 20 STA in July
2012, the Navy personnel have been
busy.
They completed their initial four
month UAV maintenance course with the
US Army at Fort Huachuca in Arizona.
ABATV Steven Kerswell said having
a Navy aviation background had given
them an advantage with the training.
“The UAVs are fairly simple com-
pared to the systems we are used to
working on,” AB Kerswell said.
“It is interesting work, we’ve got a
good mix of people and it’s an opportunity that not many Navy people get.
“It’s a good stepping stone to future
aviation – I think there will be a much
larger UAV capability for all three services in the future.”
POATV Aaron Crockett said the
experience gained from deploying and
working with the Army would benefit the
Navy in the future.
“The UAV side of things has been
fairly simple, the challenges of working
with the Army have been a different kettle of fish,” PO Crockett said.
“Being an artillery unit (20 STA),
they are very regimental, but it’s all
going well. We’re working with Army
aviation guys and they operate very similar to us, it’s just the artillery side of
things that is different.”
Team leader and aeronautical engineer LEUT Dmytriy Stepchenkov said
Navy was gathering momentum in the
TOP TEAM: (L-R) LSATV Christopher Botfield, ABATA Kurt Rigney, ABATV Steven Kerswell, LSATA Kent
use of UAVs.
“As far as UAV maintenance goes, we Hanson, LSATA Andrew Earle, POATV Aaron Crockett and CPO Simon Hustwit stand with the Shadow 200
are the first push that Navy has had and UAV during Exercise Dragon’s Challenge.
it’s very exciting to be at the front of it,”
LEUT Stepchenkov said.
“In some respects there is a lot less
complexity in the physical systems, but
the use of it makes up for complexity in
a whole lot of different ways and we’re
still finding our feet with it.
“I think there is a whole lot of capability that we could easily add to our
ships through the use of UAVs. Simple
things like reconnaissance available to
platforms as small as patrol boats for
boarding parties would be of great benefit to our Navy.”
READY TO TAKE-OFF: LSATA Kent Hanson prepares to launch the UAV.
WELL PREPARED: Members benefited from their Navy aviation backgrounds
when conducting UAV maintenance.
RentDefence
Allowance
Review Austral
Housing
Your housing updat
has commenced
determined by Defence.
You may also need to
The Rent Allowance Review began on 23 April.
info@dha.gov.au
obtain approval
to live
If you receive Rent Allowance (RA) you may be
139 DHA (139 342)
included in this years review.
outside your
posting
www.dha.gov.au
locality.
What is the RA Review?
Are you posting to
a new base that
is in an adjacent
location to your
current base and
wish to remain in
your current rental
property or Service
Residence?
The RA Review looks at your personal circumstances
ANDCONlRMSANONGOINGENTITLEMENTTO2!
PACMAN 7.1.15
)FYOUARESELECTEDFORTHISREVIEWYOUWILLBENOTIlED
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Here’s what to do – it’s online and easier than ever.
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)FYOURECEIVEANOTIlCATIONYOUCANLOGONTO$(!
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calculation is the lower
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login details,
you can follow
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4HElNEPRINT
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The reviewAllowance
is a requirement of the Department of Defence, as
detailed in PACMAN reference 7.6.35.
and Rent Allowance it
calculation
posting
If you don’t respond by the due date your RA may be
is important to contact
suspended, have
as detailed indifferent
PACMAN reference 7.6.36.
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Things you need to know: Your savings will vary depending your personal objectives, financial situation and needs. RemServ does not provide taxation or financial product advice and recommends
you obtain independent advice before making any financial decisions. All salary packaging proposals and novated lease proposals will require the consent of your employer. Your employer or
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TRAINING
April 25, 2013
First line
fighters
TOUGH SKILLS:
POPT Andrew Corbett
demonstrates a
headlock technique
with LSPT Kristian
Weldon at the Navyrun Military Self
Defence course.
THE first Military Self Defence (MSD) boarding party crews while undertaking
course run by Navy for Navy has fin- boarding operations. MSD is an integrated program
ished in Darwin.
Navy physical trainers, with assistance from Army, ran the course
for patrol boat crews at Defence
Establishment Berrimah from
March 5-9. Course manager POPT Andrew
Corbett said although the course had
been traditionally run by Army, Navy
had identified the course as teaching
crucial skills to boarding party crews
who may encounter non-compliant
people in the course of their work.
“Transit Security Element had been
undertaking the course for a while,
which has been supported by both
RAAF and Army,” he said.
PO Corbett said skills learnt on the
course helped to increase the safety of
Students hone skills
A revolutionary development
in junior maritime warfare officer
training is enhancing the preparedness of officers of the watch (OOW).
The new simulation-based training package provides trainee OOWs
with increased exposure to bridge
evolutions and war-fighting, which
had previously been limited by platform availability.
It has been developed in close
consultation with key warfare and
navigation stakeholders as well as in
partnership with national and international leaders in simulation training and education.
Head of Command, Navigation
and Littoral Warfare within Training
Authority – Maritime Warfare (TAMW), CMDR Michael Letts, said
the training package was designed
to “grow” an OOW, rather than the
immersion approach of previous
JWAC warfare training.
“As a result, enhanced staffing at the Bridge Training Faculty
at HMAS Watson, including highly
experienced PWOs, navigators and
warfare sailors, is providing highquality tailored instruction,” CMDR
Letts said.
Over 17 weeks of training, students undertake a total of 24 simulation periods of varying lengths performing the duties of the OOW.
A c t iv i t i e s va r y f r o m s h i p
manoeuvring scenarios, such as
replenishment at sea and officer of
The Living Navy Behaviours
Program (LNB) has been integrated into all entry courses at Recruit
School and HMAS Creswell to
ensure consistent, up-front education for all personnel joining Navy,
including initial and lateral entries,
and reservists.
The program, officially launched
earlier this year, is an amalgamation
of the Making the Change (MTC)
and Navigating the Change (NTC)
programs.
Developed under New
Generation Navy, the LNB program
that incorporates the applicable use of
force, physical self-defence concepts
and techniques, with current weapon
systems, combat equipment and individual and team tactics employed by
sailors, soldiers and airmen in the operational environment.
PO Corbett said the course was
challenging for participants, but the
feedback was encouraging.
“All reported a high sense of
achievement in successfully completing
what they described as one of the most
physically and mentally demanding
courses they’ve ever participated in,”
he said.
Since the first course, a second has
been conducted from April 2-6 with
further courses set to run each month.
Aviation contract announced
A NEW $107 million contract has
been signed to provide aviation technical training services for the ADF.
postgraduate courses, for aircraft and
helicopters operated by Army, Navy
and Air Force.
“The design of the new contract
Defence Materiel Minister Mike
provides BAE with a high level of
Kelly announced the signing of the
autonomy and responsibility for the
five-year contract with BAE Systems
delivery of the training.
Australia on April 5.
“BAE will be introducing a con“This contract means that BAE
temporary training environment
Systems Australia will train about
supported by modern training sys900 students annually at the RAAF
tems.”
School of Technical Training at
BAE Systems Australia Ltd has
RAAF Base Wagga, NSW,” Dr Kelly
sub-contracted the Royal Melbourne
said.
“The contract is for initial training Institute of Technology and Pennant
for technicians and maintainers for all Pty Ltd in support of the services
aviation-related trades, and a range of contract.
ENHANCED TRAINING: SBLT James Hill and SBLT Liam Catterson
on the main bridge at the Bridge Training Faculty at HMAS Watson.
Photo: POCIS Simon Bagnall
the watch manoeuvres, to complex
multi-threat warfare scenarios in a
task-group environment.
Students who successfully demonstrate OOW warfare skills will be
awarded a surface Bridge Warfare
Certificate by TA-MW.
“On leaving Watson the successful JWACs will enter the Fleet with a
common standard of skills and warfare exposure,” CMDR Letts said.
“They will post to sea to gain
an MFU Harbour Watchkeeping
Certificate and Platform Endorsement
from their CO, at which time they
will attain their primary qualification
as a maritime warfare officer.”
Recent graduate SBLT James
Hill said the course was valuable.
“The opportunity to gain experience
in a simulated environment allowing
us to hone our core mariner skills is
fantastic,” SBLT Hill said. He is now
at sea in HMAS Huon achieving his
platform endorsement.
With this additional training it
is forecast that the time taken to be
awarded a platform endorsement will
be considerably reduced from the
current average of about 450 hours.
CO Watson and TA-MW CAPT
Will Martin said TA-MW had confidence in the new package.
“Aside from the significant saving in time, the highlight of this new
package is the tremendous level of
consistency we can now achieve,” he
said.
Program recruits acceptable behaviour
Teeghan Worland
19
is now an integral part of Navy’s
cultural reform journey; one in
which everyone in Navy is expected
to participate.
It provides all personnel with an
understanding of the Navy Signature
Behaviours and the impact of unacceptable behaviours.
LNB is a mandatory learning
requirement for all Navy personnel,
and is a requirement for promotion,
honours and awards and selection
for contestable roles. Personnel who
have completed MTC and NTC but
feel they need a refresher may also
undertake the new course.
To be awarded the LNB profi-
ciency, members must have completed all MTC and NTC engagements and been awarded all eight
proficiencies.
All personnel found to be MTC
and NTC compliant will automatically be awarded the LNB proficiency over the coming months.
Personnel who do not yet meet
the proficiency can ask their divisional officer or a willing MTC/
NTC facilitator to deliver the twohour face-to-face LNB engagement.
For more information visit the NGN website: http://intranet.defence.gov.au/navyweb/sites/NGN/
Have you served?
VVCS is a free, confidential, counselling service dedicated to supporting
the mental health and wellbeing of the Australian
ex-service and veteran community and their families.
VVCS can help to work through emotional or psychological issues arising
from your military service, including stress management, relationship,
family or lifestyle challenges.
VVCS offers:
• Counselling;
• Group programs to address anger, depression, anxiety and fitness;
• Veterans Line - after-hours crisis counselling;
• Support with the transition from military to civilian life; and
• Self-help resources and referrals to other services.
VVCS services are available for all to Australian veterans, peacekeepers,
eligible members of the Defence Force community and their families,
along with F-111 fuel tank maintenance workers, their partners and
immediate family members.
If you need support, or would like more information, please call
or visit our website.
1800 011 046*
www.dva.gov.au/vvcs
* Free local call. Calls from some
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incur charges.
Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service
A service founded by Vietnam veterans
20
JUSTICE
April 25, 2013
THUMBS UP,
THUMBS DOWN


TWO sailors attended
the scene of an accident at Five Dock on
February 18 in which
an elderly woman had
fallen and received
cuts to her chin and
a possible fracture to
her wrist.
The sailors applied
first aid and immobilised her arm as best
as possible.
The sailors remained
with the woman and
kept her calm before
paramedics arrived.
During the incident,
both sailors maintained a levelheadedness and their immediate actions ensured
that the patient was
cared for and minimised the risk of further injury.
A junior sailor has
been charged by his
CO with 23 charges
of obtaining a financial advantage, under
the Commonwealth
Criminal Code.
The charges arose
after the member
swiped for duty meals
that he was not entitled to receive.
The sailor was sentenced to seven days
detention at Defence
Force Corrective
Establishment. Don’t fail to show
CAPT Scott Ritchie
Director Military Discipline Law
A MEMBER can be found guilty of an offence
under the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 if
they are absent without leave (AWOL).
The only defence available for this offence is
if the member is able to prove that their absence
was due to circumstances outside their control.
Being AWOL has long been an offence in the
military, as members are expected to report for
their initial duty of the day or otherwise be at
their particular unit, ship, barracks etc.
Failure to return from leave in time can have
a significant effect on the ADF’s efficiency and
effectiveness.
For example, if a sailor is AWOL before a
ship is due to depart, this can directly impede a
ship’s operational readiness.
Historically, being found AWOL meant the
imposition of a severe punishment.
In WWI, a large number of military members
were found guilty of being AWOL and were
reduced in rank, sentenced to detention or discharged.
In recent years, the number of AWOL members has decreased. However, those members
have tended to receive a significantly different
punishment from their predecessors, with fines
being more common.
Where a member is AWOL for 24 hours or
more, payment of the member’s salary and allowances is suspended.
Upon conviction, in addition to any punishment that may be imposed, the suspended amount
of salary and allowances will also be forfeited.
Where a member is AWOL for a continuous
period of more than three months, their service
may be terminated.
MARCH TRIAL RESULTS
Other rank
Defence Force
Magistrate
One charge absent
without leave
DFDA s. 24(1)
The member was
accused of being
absent without leave
from their unit. The
member pleaded guilty
and was found guilty.
The member was fined
$500, of which $250
was suspended.
YOUR CHOICE: Being absent without leave can have heavy consequences for both the member
and the ADF.
Photo: CPL Aaron Curran
Finding it
hard to help
This film will help you.
Watch the video or order the DVD on the website
www.adfconsumer.gov.au
your people with
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Helping ADF
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VOLUME SIX
VOLUME SIX
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Helping A
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embers
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PERSONNEL
April 25, 2013
21
Lucky students embark on
trip to Belgium and France
LEUT Andrew Ragless
THREE Top End high school students
are about to embark on a once in a lifetime journey visiting WWI and WWII
sites in France and Belgium to represent
the Northern Territory at the Anzac Day
Dawn Service in Villers-Bretonneux.
WHS AWARD: Navy members of Force
Support Unit 7 talk with RADM Stephen
Gilmore at Al Minhad Air Base after the
awarding of the WHS Commendation
(inset) to XO FSU 7 SQNLDR Kevin Hall.
Photos: SGT William Guthrie
Leading way in
avoiding injury
DEPUTY Commander Joint
Operations RADM Stephen Gilmore
presented Force Support Unit 7
with a Work Health and Safety
Commendation for leadership in
injury and illness prevention on
March 15 during a tour of FSU 7.
RADM Gilmore received the
award on behalf of FSU in early
March at the WHS awards ceremony
in Canberra and said he was proud
of the unit’s efforts.
“I am pleased with this recog-
nition as it is the first time such
an award has been presented to a
deployed element,” he said.
“WHS and force preservation is
just as important while on operations and that unnecessary risks in
the workplace should not be taken
just because personnel are no longer
in Australia.”
All FSU 7 members began their
training at different levels of fitness
and weapons-handling skills.
To have the platform set for
deployment injury and illness pre-
vention, the challenge for the unit
was to integrate these people and
ensure every individual was up to
the same high standard of preparation for deployment.
FSU 7 is a triservice unit of sailors, soldiers and airmen from over
40 units around Australia.
FSU 7 deployed in September
2012 and provides logistic support,
base maintenance and theatre induction training for ADF personnel in
the MEAO.
Excellent job rewarded
Dallas McMaugh
ABATA Benjamin Duffy, of 723SQN,
has been awarded the TAFE NSW
Riverina Institute Aviation and
Aerospace Excellence Award.
The training awards are conducted
annually to recognise outstanding
achievement in the vocational education
and training sector.
AB Duffy said the Certificate 4 in
Aeroskills course was interesting but
challenging.
“I’d have to say the hardest part of
the course was the transistor theory subjects, which dealt with analogue fundamentals,” he said.
“Because all this information was
totally new to me, I found a lot of the
concepts difficult to get hold of but
thankfully I had very good instructors.”
The NSW TAFE Riverina Institute
National Aerospace Centre of
Excellence is located at RAAF Base
Wagga and provides training in aerospace and avionics to Navy personnel
wishing to pursue careers as avionic
technicians.
On completion of the course, graduates are posted to HMAS Albatross to
gain experience on a specific aircraft
type and complete a trade journal, which
is a mandatory requirement of their
apprenticeship.
As for career goals, the next thing
on AB Duffy’s list is getting through
ON TRACK: ABATA Benjamin Duffy works on his competency his competency journal. “It’s a big part
of getting through our trade,” he said.
journal after receiving a Riverina Institute Excellence Award. Photo: LSIS Yuri Ramsey “After that, anything’s possible.”
Years 9 and 10 students Tamara West,
Shannon Hunt and Lauren Northcote
will be joined by teacher Toni Smid, of
Dripstone Middle School, and Defence
representative LEUT Karina Galliford in
the 10-day Chief Minister’s Anzac Spirit
Study Tour.
In a presentation at the Northern
Territory Parliament Library, the students and chaperones met with NT Chief
Minister Adam Giles to receive their tour
packs and winter jackets.
Mr Giles said the tour was a once in a
lifetime opportunity to honour an important part of Australia’s history.
“These awards aim at helping keep
the Anzac spirit alive, of showing continued support for the ADF and pride
in the Anzacs who went before them,”
he said. The tour is funded by the NT
Government and supported by HQ
Northern Command and the RSL (NT),
who helped select the winners.
Students from across the Territory
were asked to submit an entry in any format that addressed the question: “What
inspiration does the legend of the Anzac
provide for youth in the 21st Century?”
Staff Officer Safety and Capability at
the Patrol Boat Group, LEUT Galliford,
said it was an honour to be chosen to
accompany the students and represent
serving ADF members.
“More than 3000 ADF members
are deployed on operations around the
world, including up to 500 ADF members in the Territory who work very hard
conducting domestic maritime security
tasks 365 days a year,” she said.
“This will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about the courage and mateship that was forged in the Anzac legend
and help foster and encourage some of
values that we hold in very high regard
in Defence today.”
TOUR OF DUTY: Defence attaché LEUT Karina Galliford, Lauren Northcote,
NT Chief Minister Adam Giles, Tamara West and Shannon Hunt pose for a
photo before the study tour.
Photo: LSIS Helen Frank
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22
HEALTH
April 25, 2013
Go the distance
for pure running
There is no doubt that distance running can involve long and lonely
hours, but CAPT Frank Kresse shows that it’s not all about the
journey, but more about the destination.
T
HE perception of distance
running as an individual
sport, that personifies the
image of the lonely long-distance runner pounding the pavement,
is largely due to the inability of the
sport to be viewed as exciting and
dynamic.
An advantage triathlon has over
pure running is its ability to generate
team spirit since the triathlon is both
an individual challenge and has team
components.
Triathletes usually train and compete together, whereas runners seldom come together except in competition.
Running long distance is often
viewed as not altogether exciting. In
many respects, the myth is reality, so
why fight it?
The myth surrounding distance
running is equally alive and well in
the ADF where running continues to
play a vital part in training individuON THE RUN: LSET Richard Gregory takes on what is considered to be the als to achieve the physical attributes
‘beginner distance’ in distance running during a 21km half marathon in Perth. required in the performance of miliPhoto: LSIS Nina Fogliani tary roles.
The challenge for Defence, in
particular for the ADF Running and
Athletics Association, is to overcome
perception and old paradigm thinking.
Competitions include 10km road
race, a State teams championship
over the half marathon distance and
track and field.
The principle focus for the
Association has been to promote
running as a means to create team
spirit, personal fitness, diversity and
challenge and fun.
There has been some resurgence
in cross county and athletics carnivals and a general upturn in interest in distance running. The result
has been increased participation and
improved standards.
One aspect that we tend to forget
is that running is a low risk, highreturn activity and participation in
the sport enables anyone to achieve,
to excel and to challenge themselves
irrespective of their ability.
Most runners will agree that
through running they can achieve
their ultimate challenge, no matter
what the distance, terrain or environment, and that distance running in
particular, presents endless scope for
variety irrespective of one’s age, size
or shape.
Anyone can become a distance
runner and in doing so become a
member of a team of competitors
who take part.
No doubt everyone who has run,
whether it was a marathon, halfmarathon or shorter event, has at
some stage experienced the immense
exhilaration, excruciating pain, total
physical exhaustion and disappointment that comes from tackling the
sport.
But there is a dividend at the end,
which makes it all seem worthwhile.
Distance running has its virtues –
the pain of the run doesn’t last forever, but the memories that come with
participation, personal challenge and
achievement as a team do.
Source: ADF Running and Athletics
Association website: http://www.adf.
coolrunning.com.au/index.htm
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SPORT
April 25, 2013
23
Establishments too
strong for Fleet
Michael Brooke
THE Establishments crushed Fleet
4-1 to win the Fleet Commander’s
Challenge Trophy in rainy and windy
conditions at Sydney’s Randwick
Barracks on April 4.
CAUGHT OUT: ADF softball team pitcher WO2 Virginia Morris throws the ball to AB Julie Waller to catch
a New Zealand batter out at second base in the NZDF Softball Championships.
ON THE BALL: PO Linden Mooney takes a spectacular diving catch in the outfield during the test match
(above left) as LACW Tanya Smiljanic crosses home plate to put ASDA back in front (above right).
Establishments won the soccer 4-1,
rugby union 22-17, netball 28-17 and
the nautical mile event through the individual effort of LSPT Alex Minney.
Fleet’s only success was in the golf,
which they won 111 strokes to 124.
Establishments victory marks their
fourth title success since the sports
challenge began in 2004.
The nautical mile only attracted a
field of five competitors, largely due
to the downpour that turned the sportsfield into a quagmire.
However, had there been 100 competitors the nautical mile would still
have been a one-horse race, with fourtime champion LS Minney cantering to
an easy victory in a time of 6min 10sec.
LS Minney’s closest rival was more
than a minute behind him.
“I came all the way from HMAS
Creswell in the driving rain to reclaim
my title,” he said.
LS Minney missed the 2012 event,
but won the 2011 title in 5.52 and the
2010 and 2008 races in 5.57.
“I have started training hard only
very recently, in the countdown to a
very busy running calendar this year,”
he said.
Establishments LEUT Greer Hase,
of HMAS Kuttabul, was the only
female competitor and finished in a
time of 9.37.
“I got really fit during HMAS
Anzac’s Op Slipper deployment, so I
decided to compete today, which resulted in an unexpected victory,” she said.
Fleet came within a whisker of victory in the rugby, but bombed two certain tries in the second half.
Fleet opened the scoring in the
first stanza and held a 15-10 lead until
Establishments posted two quick tries
and a conversion in the last 10 minutes.
Establishments half-back AB Veniasi
Turuva, of HMAS Kuttabul, edged
FSU’s LS Dan Capilli for the MVP
award.
Establishments dominated the soccer with slick attack and smothering
defence.
ABET Scott Hatfield, of HMAS
Sydney, was named the most valuable
player because of his creativity with the
ball in the mid-field.
The netball was also a shut-out,
with Establishments too strong for their
rivals. ABCSO Sarah Burton, of HMAS
Darwin, received the most valuable
player award.
COMAUSFLT RADM Tim Barrett
presented the trophies to the winning
teams and thanked all the competitors
for their sportsmanship and for braving
the elements.
“I know that the weather has no
doubt put a lot of people off from competing today, but the fact that you all did
in less than ideal conditions is a credit
to you,” he said.
Brave win by
Aussie women
A STRONG batting performance
by CPOPT Donna Edge, of HMAS
Coonawarra, and a brave display by
pitcher WO2 Virginia Morris helped
the women’s ADF softball team win
the Trans Tasman Trophy by two
runs against the NZ Defence Force.
The Australian Defence women’s softball team downed the Kiwis
12-10 on March 9 at Rose Park
Stadium in Auckland.
CPO Edge said without the
efforts of captain-coach WO2
Morris the team would not have
won.
“She pitched the entire seven
innings over two-and-a-half hours
with a leg injury,” CPO Edge said.
WO2 Morris said she strained
her quad muscle but, “didn’t want to
let the team down.”
“There is a lot of tradition with
the test match, I think it was just
sheer determination and the use of
a runner that got me to complete the
seven innings,” she said.
WO2 Morris said CPO Edge’s
experience and consistency helped
the team achieve as well as it did.
“Donna batted consistently
throughout the week,” she said.
“Her leadership and experience
assisted the team and helped achieve
the results we did.”
CPO Edge, who plays centrefield, said despite a tough lead-up
to the test, the team gelled well and
performed outstandingly on the day.
“I have been playing with the
ADF since 1995 and we have had
some good teams over the years.
This team was no different,” she
said.
“The good thing with RAN softball is we seem to be getting some
good players coming through and
AB Julie Waller played really well
at second base and batted consistently well too.”
In hot and dry conditions the
women began their successful campaign with a 6-5 win in the final
against the NZ Army in the NZ
interservice championships.
After losing in the rounds and
semi-final to NZ Army, the ADF
team showed their wares in the final
to take the championship.
Contingent Commander
GPCAPT Peter Davis said the players managed to not only impress
themselves but their opposition.
“Despite a gruelling schedule
and obvious home turf and crowd
support for the Kiwis, our teams
played some fantastic softball and
earned the admiration of the NZDF
services and the NZDF Police for
the manner in which they played the
game and contributed to the tournament as a whole,” GPCAPT Davis
said.
Such was the admiration for the
ADF men’s and women’s teams,
they were awarded the Spirit of
Softball Trophy, which is usually
awarded to an individual.
“That’s the first time I have seen
the award go to a team,” CPO Edge
said.
“We are a visiting team so we
tend to be a bit outgoing and friend-
ly and we’re not afraid to have a
chat to anyone so I guess we proved
to be popular.”
She said playing the curtain raiser for the World Men’s semi-finals
only added to the momentum.
“There was a lot more hype
around because it was the world
championships so we fed off that,”
she said.
“The atmosphere was fantastic.”
While the ADF men were not
successful, they proved competitive
against more experienced and seasoned opponents.
They lost the test game 9-2 and
narrowly missed out on a win in the
interservice competition against Air
Force, going down 6-5.
The ADF men’s team was
well represented with coach CPO
Justin Bayliff and Navy softballers
LS Brendan Chappell, PO Linden
Mooney, LS Chris Murray, LS
Michael Taylor, PO David Williams,
CPO Adrian Trevis and LS Josh
Falls.
“Injuries took their toll on our
men’s team who faced a much more
experienced NZDF team in the test
match,” GPCAPT Davis said.
“The Kiwi team included some
international players who had
played in the World Championships
during the week.”
Navy women’s players: CPO Edge,
AB Julie Waller, AB Kristal Moona, AB
Joanne Russell. Manager: LS Michelle
Powell.
WINNING RUN: LSPT Alex Minney on his way to winning the nautical
mile run (above left) as Establishments goal-attack LS Zander Furnell-Hall
shoots for goal in the netball (above right). Photos: ABIS Sarah Ebsworth
Volume 56, No. 07, April 25, 2013
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TOUGH BATTLE: LS
Sergeant, left, and
PO Harrington, right,
are lifted for the lineout during the rugby
union competition
between Fleet and
Establishments for the
Fleet Commander’s
Cup at Randwick
Barracks in Sydney.
TOP OF
TABLE
PAGE 23
Establishments dominate Fleet Commander’s Cup

Volume 56, No. 07, April 25, 2013

Transcription

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