The official newspaper of the Royal Australian NavyVolume 55, No. 12, July 5, 2012

SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDESERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDE

NEWSNEWS

WORKING HARD: SBLT Timothy Gill, AB Keely Slis and AB Zac Hind receive essential ships stores, during HMAS Sydney’s planned maintenance period at Fleet Base East. Photo: LSIS Jo Dilorenzo

SEAWORTHINESS SYSTEM STARTS

Special centrespread: Pages 12-13

PAGE 9

Open upPacific Partnership arrives in Philippines island of Sumar

y

9

Navy vessels assist in Indian Ocean tragedies

Rescues at seaRescues at sea PAGE 3

02 NEWSJuly 5, 2012

DirectorDavid Edlington: (02) 6265 4650

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LAC Bill Solomou: (02) 6265 1355Andrew Stackpool: (02) 6266 7611

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Healthy boostfor servicesMEDIBANK Health Solutions will provide a range of health services for ADF personnel from November after winning the $1.3 billion Defence health services contract.

Services covered under the contract include on-base health support, pathol-ogy, imaging and radiology, as well as maintaining the 24-hour ADF national health hotline.

Announcing the contract, Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon said the contract was about ensuring ADF personnel received a high standard of healthcare.

“The agreement will support Defence’s goal of seamless health care from point of injury to recovery,” he said.

“This contract with Medibank Health Solutions will also assist Defence gain further efficiencies by streamlining delivery of health ser-vices and optimising current services through innovation and technology.”

Current health services contracts have been extended to November to allow for a smooth transition to the new contract and ensure no disruption of services.

Healthcare on deployments will continue to be provided by military doctors, nurses and medics.

New CO forParramattaHMAS Parramatta’s ship’s company witnessed a changing of the guard when CMDR Guy Blackburn handed over command of FFH 154 to CMDR Simon Cannell.

CMDR Blackburn presented the instruments of command, the ship’s telescope and the CO’s BlackBerry, to CMDR Cannell on June 15.

The succession ceremony con-cluded CMDR Blackburn’s tenure of commanding a RAN warship, which, courtesy of the Fleet Operating Concept’s sea swap initiative, saw him command HMA Ships Stuart, Ballarat and Parramatta during a 24-month period.

“The spirit of Parramatta is unique, as is her history and achievements, which speaks volumes of the profes-sionalism and camaraderie of suc-cessive ship’s companies,” CMDR Blackburn said.

The ceremony included the appointment of WO Sharon Campbell as Parramatta’s Ship’s Warrant Officer and recognition of LS Anthony Wesling as Parramatta’s Sailor of the Year for 2011-12.

The handover ceremony occurred three months after Parramatta returned home from a six-month deployment to Op Slipper that marked the ship’s fourth deployment to the Middle East and the 27th rotation of a RAN ship since September 2001.

Education for AegisMichael Brooke

THREE Navy personnel have gleaned important lessons from embedding with a Spanish F-100 frigate and learning about the Aegis Combat System.

LEUT Peter Shirley, PO Michael Burke and LS Lee Web recently returned to Australia after embarking in the Spanish Navy Aegis-equipped frigate, Blas de Lezo, named in hon-our of Spain’s version of Admiral Horatio Nelson.

The three were embarked for a two-month period while the F-100 class ship embedded with a US Carrier Strike Group for a series of challenging air warfare exercises.

“Our mission was to learn how the Spanish utilise these platforms and to pick up any lessons that may assist the RAN to fully integrate the Aegis Combat System,” POCSS (AC) Burke said.

The Aegis Combat System will equip the RAN’s Hobart-class Air Warfare Destroyers, scheduled to come online from 2015.

Blas de Lezo sailed from Spain to the US where it embedded with the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group for an exercise that further validated the Aegis Combat System that can track and target 100 threats simultaneously.

LEUT Shirley said during the

‘‘‘‘Fortunately, the crew was always eager to help me with any questions

I had about the Aegis system– LSET Lee Webb

Amarda F-100 exercise, he succeed-ed with his primary goal of gaining a better understanding of the Aegis Combat System, in particular the radar and Aegis components.

The heart of the Aegis system is the multi-function phased-array radar that, in combination with the SM-2 missile, will provide an advanced air defence system capable of engaging enemy aircraft and missiles at ranges in excess of 150km.

LEUT Shirley said Blas de Lezo demonstrated that a foreign built Aegis-equipped platform can capably operate in the same mission environ-ments as the US Navy platforms.

“Blas de Lezo, which is the same design as our AWD, showed that she can more than keep pace with the USN ships in a complex war scenario,” he said.

POCSS (AC) Burke said en route to the US they saw how the Spanish officers and senior sailors in the Combat Information Centre honed their high end war-fighting

skills conducting Aegis scenario simulations.

“Training occurred daily, with each watch exposed to training that typically included a major scenario against an asymmetric threat across all facets of warfare and three or four smaller scenarios, focused on a spe-cific threat,” he said.

“Occasionally one of us was invited into the Combat Information Centre to play a part on headset, helping us to get used to listening to English on external circuits.”

The next hour of simulation train-ing typically saw the Spanish warship engage half the naval and air fleet of the fictitious enemy.

“This was a routine part of the day while in transit and allowed the crew of Blas de Lezo to maintain a high state of readiness,” POCSS (AC) Burke said.

“The use of the Aegis Combat Training System kept the ship up to speed and ready for their inclusion in the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group.”

POCSS Burke said when the war game began, the fictitious enemy threw all they had at them. “But their fighters were plucked from the sky by an assorted mix of the carrier’s jets and ships’ missiles, while their anti-ship missiles were defeated well before any potential impact,” he said.

“The ‘enemy’ fought well and relentlessly for several days against us before conceding defeat to the far more superior naval might of the coalition forces.”

LSET Webb said operating the Aegis weapons system to its full-est required a high standard of professionalism.

“Fortunately, the crew was always eager to help me with any questions I had about the Aegis system,” he said.

The Warrant Officer School of Maritime Warfare, WOCSM Justin Stone, said the ADF had a steep learn-ing curve ahead, but had the enor-mous benefit of accessing 30 years of US Navy experience with Aegis.

“The US Navy lessons learned with Aegis are awesome for the RAN because it means we will not have to learn from our own costly and time-consuming mistakes,” he said.

When the Aegis-equipped Air Warfare Destroyers replace the Navy’s upgraded Adelaide-class FFGs, they will deliver an afford-able, effective, flexible and sustain-able air warfare defence capability.

LESSONS LEARNED: PO Michael Burke, left, LEUT Peter Shirley and LS Lee Webb pose for a photo on the deck of the Spanish frigate Blas de Lezo where they embedded for two months.

SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDEPRIDE

NEWSNEWS

In-flight emergency for Bluestokes nursesCPL Max Bree

TWO Navy nurses on their way to a medical training exercise faced a mid-air emergency when a fel-low passenger became unresponsive during a flight from Sydney to Perth on June 5.

LEUT Lynn Hocking was sitting with psyche officer LEUT Susan Copeland-Heath when she noticed something wrong with a nearby woman.

“Susan was sitting next to me and she said ‘Lynn, Lynn! Woman behind’,” LEUT Hocking said.

LEUT Hocking and another nursing officer, LEUT Steve Line, jumped out of their seats to find the woman unresponsive with wide eyes and dilated pupils.

“It looked like we were in for a full resuscitation,” LEUT Hocking said.

But as the nursing officers took the woman out of her seat to lay her on the floor, she began coming round.

“She looked at me and gave an amazing smile,” LEUT Hocking said.

Despite the woman’s condi-

tion improving, the nursing officers kept her horizontal and continued to monitor her irregular heart beat with a stethoscope and defibrillator brought by the cabin crew.

LEUTs Hocking and Line stayed with the woman as the plane divert-ed to Adelaide where paramedics then took her to hospital.

“It was well picked up by Susan and well executed by Steve and myself,” LEUT Hocking said.

All three officers were on their way to Ex Bluestokes at HMAS Stirling in WA.

For more information on Ex Bluestokes see page 14.

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03NEWS July 5, 2012

SAVING SKILLS: LEUT Lynn Hocking and LEUT Steve Line in Perth after they responded to the in-flight emergency. Photo: ABIS Alan Lancaster

THE Navy’s amphibious ships HMAS Choules has suffered a defect which caused her to return to Sydney on June 14.

HMAS Choules left Sydney on June 13 for Queensland where she was scheduled to support Exercise Hamel in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area.

The defect occurred on one of the six transformers which form part of the ship’s propulsion system. This reduced the ship’s propulsion power by 50 per cent.

The ship’s Commanding Officer made the safe and prudent decision to return to Sydney in order to have the defect rectified.

The Navy has been advised by the ship’s previous operator, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, that the defect is very unusual.

Chief of Navy VADM Ray Griggs said assertions of Navy attempting to cover up the fault were “quite simply wrong”.

“On Friday, July 15, I directed that a press release be issued on the following Monday advising of the defect. Monday was chosen to allow Navy time over the week-end to more fully understand the nature of the defect in the ship,” VADM Griggs said.

Fleet Commander RADM Tim Barrett said a technical investiga-tion has begun to identify the pos-sible cause of the defect.

Navy and the Defence Materiel Organisation are working closely with the original manufacturer of the transformer to have it repaired and the ship return to sea as soon as possible.

Navy will continue to be trans-parent about its activities where this does not jeopardise opera-tional security.

Choules needs repairs

Help in sinking crisisSWINGING INTO ACTION: HMAS Maitland, left, and HMAS Leewin.

FOUR Navy vessels and four 92WG AP-3C Orions were involved in major search and rescue operations north of Christmas Island when two irregular maritime vessels sank in separate inci-dents.

The first incident occurred on June 21 midway between Christmas Island and Indonesia. One hundred and ten people were rescued and 17 bodies were recovered.

Reports indicated the vessel could have been carrying about 200 people.

ADF assets were again called upon on June 27 when another vessel cap-sized 13 nautical miles east of the first incident. On this occasion, 130 people were rescued and one body recovered.

In the June 21 incident, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) launched a search-and-rescue operation after a Customs and Border Protection surveillance aircraft detect-ed the vessel in distress.

An AP-3C Orion was diverted to the scene and dropped life rafts.

Shortly after, a merchant vessel arrived, followed quickly by two more merchant vessels, which responded

to the AMSA request for assistance. About 7.30pm, patrol boats HMAS Larrakia and HMAS Wollongong arrived on the scene.

During the following days, both patrol boats, seven merchant ships and several aircraft, including four Orions, were involved in the search-and-rescue operation in the area.

The Navy vessels were used to res-cue survivors, provide on-scene com-mand for the operation, and recover bodies. They were also used to trans-port the survivors and deceased back to Christmas Island. A 37SQN C-130 ferried a support team to the island.

The search was called off on June 24 by AMSA when it was

assessed there was no realistic pros-pect for anyone to survive beyond that point.

In the June 27 incident, Border Protection Command deployed HMAS Maitland, HMAS Leeuwin and an Orion to the scene to render assistance. Three merchant vessels also responded to AMSA’s call for assistance.

Under the coord ina t ion o f AMSA, 130 survivors were res-cued by the merchant vessels and by HMAS Maitland. All survivors and the body of one person were trans-ferred to HMAS Leeuwin and taken to Christmas Island.

Following both incidents, clinical advice and support was provided to the crews of the ships involved as part of the Defence Critical Incident Mental Health Support System.

In Parliament last week, members acknowledged the bravery and dedication of all who have worked so tirelessly on the search and rescue operations. They recognised the ADF and border protection personnel’s professionalism and expertise in response to the tragic events.

130 PEOPLE RESCUED: The vessel involved in the June 27 incident, as viewed from the merchant ship MV Bison.

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04 NEWSJuly 5, 2012

Michael Brooke and LEUT Dave Roberts

MORE than 100 students of New Entry Officers Course (NEOC) 46 have taken their first significant step in their mili-tary careers.

The graduation parade, on June 21 at HMAS Creswell, marked the comple-tion of an intense 22-week course that trained the NEOCs in leadership, sea-manship, naval history, physical fitness and weapons handling.

The reviewing officer for the parade, Commander Australian Fleet RADM Tim Barrett, congratulated the graduates on completing the course.

“To our newest naval officers, today’s parade is a significant milestone in your career,” he said.

RADM Barrett said the new officers were joining the Fleet at an exciting and challenging time and they would help Navy integrate new defence technolo-gies such as the Air Warfare Destroyers and Landing Helicopter Docks.

CO Creswell CAPT Brett Chandler said the graduates were ready to serve.

“The training we put the officers

through can be arduous and demanding, but it properly prepares them for service as naval officers,” CAPT Chandler said.

A number of awards were presented to graduates in recognition of leader-ship, sea training, academic and sport-ing achievements.

Navy’s values and signature behav-iours also played an important role in determining prize winners.

The NEOC graduation was partic-ularly memorable for MIDN Patrick Hitchings, who received the RADM Hammond Memorial Sword in recogni-tion of his self discipline, resolution and positive influence among his peers.

MIDN Hitchings also received the Australian Naval Institute Sea Training Deployment Prize for outstanding offic-er-like qualities and diligent application to his task-book journal while on sea training deployment.

LEUT Douglas Falconer received the W. H. Harrington Memorial Prize for outstanding participation, support and fellowship, as well as the CDRE Sir James Ramsay Prize for the best aca-demic performance.

EYES RIGHT: Graduates of New Entry Officers Course 46 dress for inspection during the passing out parade at HMAS Creswell. Photo: LSIS Yuri Ramsey

Future leaders strut their stuff

Michael Brooke

RECOGNITION for a job well done is always the icing on the cake for any ship’s company or shore establishment. But rarely can a ship’s company have its cake and eat it too.

That is what Assail Four managed when personnel were presented with the Kelly Shield and shared an afternoon tea with Commander Australian Fleet RADM Tim Barrett on June 8.

Assail Four received the Kelly Shield as the Armidale-class patrol boat (ACPB) crew foremost in operations, safety and unit level training.

The annual award was present-ed when HMAS Broome berthed at Fleet Base East during a break from patrolling maritime reserves around Tasmania.

CO Assail Four LCDR Kylie Beumer said the Kelly Shield recognised a long dedication to duty that included important Op Resolute taskings in 2011.

“It’s a really great day for Assail Four to receive the Kelly Shield,” LCDR Beumer said.

“We had a long and hard year that resulted in some fantastic successes.”

Assail Four’s milestones

include boarding and appre-hending a Type 4 fishing vessel, boarding and apprehending four SIEVs, a deployment to South-East Asia and preparing HMA Ships Broome and Maitland for their first scheduled five-year docking.

“But for us, the highlight was going back to basics and doing a fishing boat boarding and being able to apprehend it and tow it into Darwin,” LCDR Beumer said.

“And that went to court and the crew was convicted.”

LCDR Beumer said the port visit to Sydney was a great opportunity.

“It’s a real joy to be here and marks a significant departure from our typical Op Resolute patrol taskings,” LCDR Beumer said.

“We’ve been able to promote the excitement and diversity of ACPB operations among the sail-ors posted to Fleet Base East and HMAS Kuttabul.”

The team from Assail Four also extended the gangway to sailors interested in going to Darwin or Cairns to gain opera-tional experience on an ACPB.

All for a job well done

CONGRATULATIONS: Commander Australian Fleet RADM Tim Barrett presents CO Assail Four LCDR Kylie Beumer and her crew with the Kelly Shield. Photo: ABIS Richard Cordell

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Diver under fire CPL Mark Doran

“CONTACT – wait out.” This is not a common radio message for a sailor to hear.

Nor is it common for one of the Navy’s finest to be fighting on the bat-tlefield 1000km from the nearest salt water.

POCD Justin Ramanauskas of EOD Troop Combined Team Uruzgan (CTU) is in charge of a four-man team at the Multinational Base Tarin Kot which responds to some explosive finds.

Their role as enablers for CTU and Mentoring Task Force 4 (MTF 4) is to clear improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from paths for troops and con-voys in Uruzgan.

As a Team One clearance diver based at HMAS Waterhen, POCD Ramanauskas has been exposed to a completely different environment while working in Afghanistan to most roles as a sailor.

I t was during a dismounted Afghan National Army (ANA) part-nered clearance patrol with Mentoring Team One on March 22 where POCD Ramanauskas found himself receiving hostile fire for the second time during his first deployment.

The patrol was in the Char Chineh, a remote area of Uruzgan, and POCD Ramanauskas said they were informed of insurgents observing the troops and preparing an ambush.

“We were moving across open ground and had just taken cover when our combat team started to receive small arms fire,” POCD Ramanauskas said.

“The right flank returned fire immediately and we continued to engage the enemy while pushing our-selves forward.

“At that point the insurgents fired a recoilless rifle round at the overwatch position which was on a cliff and the team in that position was lucky not to be injured by the close explosion.”

The insurgent’s sporadic fire gave away their positions to the combat team on the right flank who continued to engage them as the engineers per-sisted in moving forward.

An air weapons team of two US AH-64D Apaches was called in and there were lulls in the three-hour battle as the insurgents hid until the aircraft moved away.

The insurgents then increased their rate of fire with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades until the Apaches returned with two A-10 Warthogs in support, causing the insur-gents to flee.

POCD Ramanauskas said his team pushed forward using fire and move-ment to the insurgents’ location.

“We continued on with our task and noticed there were no local nation-als in the area as we entered the com-pounds,” he said.

“To be honest, it just felt like a nor-mal patrol – we came to Afghanistan fully prepared for this type of situation.”

Engineer search teams are respon-sible for finding explosive ordnance and IEDs before calling the EOD teams forward.

The Talon robot is considered one of the most critical pieces of equip-ment used in the EOD role and it can travel through sand, water, and snow, as well as climb stairs.

POCD Ramanauskas said the Talon was used as a remote means to disrupt an IED and separate the components before placing a counter charge.

“If it breaks down it means the bomb suit comes out and I have been training in it just in case I need to wear it,” he said.

“An EOD technician needs to be patient and be able to think calmly and clearly about their next course of action and then communicate that clearly to the team and everyone need-ing protection.”

He said he was also proud to be working with the Afghans.

“Working alongside the Afghan Security Forces has shown me they are now in a better position for when we withdraw.

“Some of the ANA have phenom-enal integrity and commitment, espe-cially when it comes to engaging the enemy.

“I have been welcomed to Afghanistan as a sailor and I feel privileged to be working and fighting alongside Australian soldiers on the battlefield.”

05NEWS July 5, 2012

ON DRY LAND: POCD Justin Ramanauskas, of EOD Troop Combined Team Uruzgan, found these explosive ordnance and weapons and more during his deployment. Photo: CPL Mark Doran

Communications & Information SystemsBasic Communications Principles, 10-12 SeptModern Communication Systems, 13-14 Sept

Satellite CommunicationsSatellite Communications - Overview, 19 NovSatellite Communications - Intermediate, 19-21 NovSatellite Communications - Advanced, 19-23 Nov

ManagementStrategic Human Resource Management, 2 Nov

Military SystemsIntroduction to Radar Systems, 15-17 AugBattlefield Digitisation, 21-23 Aug

Naval ArchitectureIntroduction to Naval & Maritime Strategy, 20 Jul

Occupational Health and Safety/Laser SafetyLaser Safety 1 Day (Adelaide) & 4 Days, 16-19 JulLaser Safety 1 Day (Canberra), 17 SeptLaser Safety 1 Day (Sydney) & 4 Days, 1-4 Oct

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Risk ManagementAll-Hazard Response Preparedness-Minimising the Risk through Exercise Management, 1-2 AugRisk & Resilience Management, 21-22 AugIntroduction to Risk Management, 6-7 SeptRisk and Contract Management, 18-19 Oct

Systems EngineeringIntroduction to Systems Engineering (Canberra), 13-15 AugSystems Engineering Practice (Canberra), 16-17 AugRequirements Engineering, 3-5 Sept

Geographic Information AnalysisPrinciples of Geographic Information Analysis and Remote Sensing Overview, 5 - 9 Nov

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06 NEWSJuly 5, 2012

NEW EXPERIENCES: ABET Saif Shamkhi rings the Peace Bell at the Hiroshima Peace Park in Japan. Photo: LEUT Natasha Connew

Cultural highlights on deploymentLSIS Paul Berry

A CULTURAL activities initiative proved a success with HMAS Ballarat’s crew during her North East Asian deployment.

Throughout the four-month deploy-ment, Ballarat organised a range of guided tours and activities at each port.

Fleet Command also allocated $100 to each crew member to subsidise their tours.

Activities included an overnight trip to Seoul and the demilitarised zone (DMZ) on the North and South Korean border; a tour of Kure, Hiroshima and the Peace Park in Japan; and a zoo night safari or Changi Chapel Museum tour in Singapore.

The initiative was implemented by Fleet Command after the HMAS Success COI Implementation Team’s Report.

The report highlighted the impor-tance of positive activities for deployed crews such as sport, community engage-

ment and visits to areas of cultural or military historical interest.

Deputy Supply Officer Ballarat LEUT Natasha Connew said the crew was able to choose the tours and weren’t limited by the subsidy.

“Most people on board have taken up an activity and most have taken more than one,” LEUT Connew said.

ABET Saif Shamkhi grabbed the opportunity to go on three tours during the deployment.

His highlight was getting a glimpse of the North Korean Army on the DMZ.

“We took a bullet train to Seoul, stayed at a five-star hotel and had the rest of the day to explore Seoul, which was spectacular,” ABET Shamkhi said.

“The next morning we took a bus to the DMZ and a tour guide took us around to all the museums and the infil-tration tunnel. We ended up on a podium where we could look out to North Korea and learn about the history.

“I think the cultural tours are a great thing, it gives people options to do things they wouldn’t otherwise do.”

A taste of Naval life for locals Natalie Staples

MORE than 2700 Novocastrians took the opportunity to cross the gangway of their city’s namesake ship during a three-day port visit.

Families queued up at Throsby Wharf to get a taste of naval life on HMAS Newcastle, with highlights being the main weapons systems, a chance to sit in the captain’s chair on the bridge and practical firefighting.

CO Newcastle CMDR Anthony Campbell said he was pleased with the turnout.

“Last year around 1800 people took the opportunity to visit and it was great to see even more Hunter locals this year,” CMDR Campbell said.

Newcastle also reconnected with her charity, Newcastle Community of Schools – formerly the Hunter Orthopaedic School.

“Since 1993 the ship has been raising funds to make the lives of the kids a little easier,” CMDR Campbell said.

“I am pleased to announce this year we will be presenting a cheque for $10,000.”

Students were also given a personal and hands-on tour of the Adelaide-class frigate.

Newcastle’s visit coincided with the 70th anniversary of Fort Scratchley firing on a Japanese submarine in World War II.

“On behalf of the ship’s company, I am proud that we are able to take part in commemorations for this significant day in the defence of Newcastle and its people,” CMDR Campbell said.

To acknowledge the historical milestone, Newcastle exchanged a gun salute with the coastal fort on entering and exiting harbour.

HANDS-ON: AB Michael Thompson, of HMAS Newcastle, shows a visiting student how to use the firefighting hose. Inset, families and visitors line up to board Newcastle at Throsby Wharf. Photos: SMNCSO Roderick Guthrie

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07NEWS July 5, 2012

HYDROGRAPHER CDRE Rod Nairn has hailed Australia’s new Electronic Navigational Chart (ENC) coverage for Australian and Papua New Guinea waters.

He was speaking on June 21 on UN World Hydrography Day, celebrated each year to raise awareness of the importance of hydrography and nautical cartog-raphy to support the safety of life at sea, enable reliable maritime trade and enhance the protection of the marine environment.

Representatives from the Navy, Australian Maritime Safety Authority, the State Government, the shipping industry and aca-demia were joined by local dig-nitaries at the Navy’s Australian Hydrographic Service (AHS) to officially launch the new ENC service, known as AusENC.

“The new ENC coverage is a highly significant contribution to the maritime safety of Australian lives, livelihoods and the environ-ment,” CDRE Nairn said.

This achievement comes ahead of the International Maritime Organisation mandate for compulsory carriage of ENCs through a phased adoption from July 2012 to 2018.

The AusENC service will enhance protection of environ-mentally sensitive sea areas including the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef.

CMDR Andy Nelson

AFTER one of its iconic moments was captured for posterity, Anzac-class frigate HMAS Perth continued on her journey to Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).

Perth left San Francisco on June 18 to join the RIMPAC Task Group transit to Hawaii, which will include ships from the US Navy, Japanese Self Defence Force, Royal Canadian

Navy, Chilean Navy and Colombian Navy.

Perth’s final mainland US port visit was in San Francisco – and it was there its iconic moment was captured on film.

Two of Perth’s best amateur pho-tographers, medical officer LEUT William Ho and LSCTL Hayley Ford, were launched on a RHIB so they could photograph the ship as she passed under the Golden Gate Bridge

on a brilliant early summer’s day. With some mid-tidal stream manoeuvring, the ship continued on to berth near downtown San Francisco.

The crew enjoyed some well earned R and R in what proved to be one of the more popular port visits of Perth’s North American and Pacific deployment.

Among the more popular tours undertaken were visits to the infamous Alcatraz Prison and Angel Island.

Other activities conducted by Perth crew included stand-up paddle lessons in Hawaii, kayak tours in Canada and a day hike in the Yosemite National Park in California.

While berthed in San Francisco, Perth provided ship tours for USS Houston Association members and for-mer crew of the WWII heavy cruis-er that joined HMAS Perth (I) in the Battle of Sunda Strait in which both ships were lost with heavy loss of life.

ALL SMILE: HMAS Perth glides under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Photo: LEUT William Ho

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08 NEWSJuly 5, 2012

CPL Max Bree

WHEN a propeller and driveshaft flash red on a monitoring screen in HMAS Toowoomba’s machinery control room, the stokers spring into action.

LS Anthony Ellison, the marine systems controller, spots a pressure drop in the starboard oil distribution box that feeds fluid to change the pitch of the ship’s propeller blades.

The propeller’s pitch is backed off and the team sent to investigate find a split hydraulic line with fluid gushing into the bilge.

LS Ellison sits in front of the con-trol and monitoring system that keeps track of the ship’s engines, power, ventilation, fire suppression and alarm systems with more than 4500 sensors.

But LS Ellison is also one of Toowoomba’s marine technicians, better know as stokers, who repair and maintain the ship’s engines and systems.

It will be his second trip to the Middle East when Toowoomba returns there at the end of the year.

“I was with the engineering board-ing team guys in 2009,” he said. “You always have to have an engineering team with the boarding party.

“The first thing we need to do is make sure the engines are stopped and check the condition of the engines.

“We’re naturals in an engineering

room as we know what we’re looking for.”

The engineering command team arrive to take over the control room as LS Ellison goes with the other stokers to the engine compartments.

“Anything I can’t do by myself, floods, fires, famines … we get the engineering department down here,” LS Ellison said.

PO Stuart Hall, with the command team, informs the bridge the ship needs to be stopped. Then the stokers below lock in the propeller pitch to the maximum ahead setting so the ship can get underway at speed if needed.

The bridge tells PO Hall that due to heavy traffic the repairs will have to be finished so the ship can get underway.

“Right, we’ve got about 10 min-utes!” PO Hall yells to the rest of the control room.

According to LS Ellison, whenever there is an emergency, the stokers are the ones the crew want on the job.

“Every time there’s been an inci-dent every one stands aside and the stokers go straight through,” he said.

With the broken hose replaced, a stoker radios the control room saying he will rotate the turning gear using the motor to remove the last lock-pin holding the propeller pitch.

“Go ahead, we need to set the clutch back to normal to get going,” PO Hall barks back.

The stokers return to the control room, the exercise is over.

Stokers take control

CPL Max Bree

MEDICS on HMAS Toowoomba won’t let the messy side of their profession stop them from doing all they can to look after their crewmates.

The ship’s senior medic, POMED Jason Richardson, is no stranger to what’s inside the human body.

“I could tell this guy was going to throw up so I was trying to get him out the door and to the toilet,” he said, adding that he didn’t quite make it.

PO Richardson will be joined on the deployment by junior medic ABMED Karney Armstrong, who experienced treating a shark attack victim at HMAS Stirling in 2010.

“When the paramedics took the wrapping off it wasn’t a flap (of skin), it was just gone,” she said.

“It looked very nice, like one of the models you have at medical school … but it was bad for the patient.

“She needed 200 stitches and they pulled two shark teeth out of her behind.”

This will be the third Middle East deploy-ment for PO Richardson and the first for AB Armstrong, whose mother went to the Middle East with HMAS Kanimbla’s Army detachment in 2001.

“I watched her leave and now she’s going to watch me leave,” she said.

A medical officer and 12 advanced first-aiders will make up the rest of Toowoomba’s medical response team that spreads throughout the ship at action stations.

When it comes to casualties aboard the ship, PO Richardson said everyone was happy to make way for the medics.

“People have their look and then think ‘Oh I’m not a medic I better stand aside’,” he said.

“If you look after the crew as best you can with what you have the crew respects you.”

Messy but vital work

BACK TO HEALTH: ABMED Karney Armstrong and POMED Jason Richardson treat a patient in Toowoomba’s sick bay.

Photo: CPL Max Bree

SEARCH AND REPAIR: AB Jarrod Davison and LS Anthony Ellison search for the source of an electrical fault in the engineering compartment. Photo: CPL Max Bree

Green thumbs and gunsCPL Max Bree

FORGET saving trees, the greenies on HMAS Toowoomba are more inter-ested in electronics and sending 5-inch shells up to 23.8km at the enemy.

The ship’s electronics technicians, better known as greenies, maintain the electric systems while some branch out and look after Toowoomba’s weapons.

LS Mark Baker used to fix 76mm anti-air guns on frigates and recently transferred to Toowoomba’s gun crew.

“We’re the guys who make big stuff like this work,” he said. “We do elec-tronics courses then we go on to do hydraulic and pneumatic stuff.

“It’s basically a hybrid between a greenie and a stoker.”

Toowoomba’s 5-inch gun can fire

14-20 solid or high explosive shells a minute at aircraft and land targets, something LS Baker said he would not want to be on the receiving end of.

“I’d be running away as fast as I could,” he said. “For large shells they’re very accurate.”

The shells are brought up from the magazine through a tube, rotat-ed around a drum then individually swung up 90 degrees by a hydraulic arm and slammed into the gun breech ready for electronic firing.

The gun can be operated and fired remotely or from a compartment under the gun.

According to LS Baker, the term greenie came from the green stripes once worn in between the yellow bars on electronics officers’ rank slides.

HOLD FIRE: LS Mark Baker tries to fix an electronic fault with the ship’s 5-inch gun. Photo: CPL Max Bree

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09NEWS July 5, 2012

MAJ Cameron Jamieson

MEDICAL personnel are at the coalface of a humanitarian relief effort after Pacific Partnership 2012 arrived in the Philippines island of Samar.

More than 1000 people lined up at the Calbayog City Sports Centre for the first day of a free US Navy-led medical civic-aid project.

Locals were treated by a multination-al team of military and non-government organisation professionals, that included a five-person Navy team of doctors, a nurse and dental specialists.

Nurs ing o ff i ce r LEUT Ross Shackleton said the project received a wide variety of patients.

“We’re getting people from ophthal-mology to dental surgical cases coming through,” he said.

“We’re seeing a lot of conditions, such as those caused by nutrient deficien-cies, that you don’t often see at home.”

LEUT Shackleton said despite the large numbers of people, the local sup-port and feedback had been positive.

“Even though there are masses of people waiting outside, everyone is happy to wait their turn to get free treatment so they can put their money towards things like food and schooling for their children,” he said.

Host nations are also involved,

contributing personnel and resources for the various civic aid projects and conducting emergency training exer-cises to help build a regional capabil-ity to respond to any future large-scale disaster.

Navy doctor LCDR Richard Loizou said he saw a lot of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and acute thyroid issues.

“Some people are already receiv-ing treatment and they’re coming in to confirm their treatment is OK,” LCDR Loizou said.

“We spend time talking to them, reassuring them and making them feel good about the medicines they are receiving.

“Other people have no idea about their condition, so we are able to help them out quite a bit.”

LEUT Shackleton said he was pleased to join the mission because it helped him to develop professionally.

“This sort of nursing and medical experience is fantastic because I can get a feel for the various conditions people are presenting with and follow them through the different areas of their medical treatment,” he said.

“We can see them from admission right through to the discharge phase, which is an opportunity you rarely get back in Australia.”

Samar gets a check-up

FREE CHECK-UPS: LEUT Ross Shackleton, of HMAS Penguin, checks the health of Jambie during a medical civic-aid project in the Philippines. Inset, LCDR Richard Loizou, of HMAS Kuttabul, examines the ear of Melita at the Calbayog City Sports Complex.

Photos: FSGT Craig Sharp

10 NEWSJuly 5, 2012

LEUT Andrew Ragless

THE Ford Performance Racing (FPR) team thrilled Navy personnel and bright-ened the day of locals while in Darwin for the V8 Supercar championship at Hidden Valley in June.

Navy then repaid the favour when FPR drivers Will Davison and Mark Winterbottom swapped their high-per-formance cars for a Zodiac in a visit to Darwin’s patrol boat base HMAS Coonawarra on June 13.

The visit included an autograph sign-ing for kids from Coonawarra’s adopted family, cancer charity Camp Quality.

Winterbottom, driver of car 5 Orrcon Steel, said the jet-powered RHIB was different to what he was used to.

“I wish my ski boat handled like that,” he said. “They stop and turn on a dime and you generally don’t expect that from something that floats.”

Davison, driver of car 6 Tradingpost FPR Falcon, said the 30-minute trip wasn’t long enough.

“I’d love another hour on the water just to build my confidence and see what the boat can do,” he said.

Having the Camp Quality kids on base also made the visit extra special for the drivers.

“The track gets pretty busy and I am delighted we had some quality time with them,” Davison said.

LSCIS Renee Cox won a hot lap in David Reynolds FPR V8 Supercar on June 18 in a charity raffle hosted by HMAS Coonawarra.

“It was absolutely awesome,” she said.“It was almost like being in a simula-

tor or game except the bumps were real and they really hit hard. I’m glad I had my helmet!”

LSCIS Cox thought the car reached speeds of up to 280km/h on the main straight of the circuit but she couldn’t tell for sure.

“They stripped the car of everything that wasn’t vital so it could go faster, including the speedo,” she said.

“Then they bolted the passenger seat in, which took about 20 minutes.

“We did two laps and it just felt amazing.”

LSPT Corinne Williams and LSWTR Kathryn Morris were among the first ‘drivers’ to take the wheel in Team Navy’s V8 Supercar simulator at Hidden Valley.

They took a fast lap around the virtu-al Bathurst 1000 circuit under the watch-ful eye of V8 driver Chaz Mostert.

“You can see why I drive a Swift,” LSWTR Morris said. “I wasn’t quite used to the power of a supercharged V8.”

Mostert said the simulator would whet the appetites of motorsport fans.

“With outstanding graphics and the seat’s high-tech motion, drivers will feel every bump and curve,” he said.

LSPT Williams said she wanted one at home.

“I do love my XR6 but I can go a lot faster in this,” she said.

Last year, Navy announced a five-year partnership with FPR, which gives two marine technical sailors the opportu-nity to embed in the FPR team and work as mechanics for Team Navy, every year, until the end of 2016.

POMT Clint MacGregor and LSMT Ashley Schmidt are the current members of the outplacement program.

“They’re very much part of the team and the work they do is integral to our success,” Winterbottom said.

“As a high-performance racing team, what we do is quite specialised and quite demanding.

“We share a synergy with Navy like that, and although the cars and boats are vastly different, the boys have brought their dedication and discipline to the team and their work ethos is fantastic.”

LSMT Schmidt said participating in the program was the opportunity of a lifetime.

“We’re learning all the time, but the drivers seem to be just as interested in what we do in Navy as we are in them.”

V8 champs roar in Darwin

START YOUR ENGINES: LSCIS Renee Cox, of HMAS Coonawarra, with V8 Supercar driver David Reynolds, before going on the ride of a lifetime at the Hidden Valley track, Darwin. Photo: LAC David Cotton

SUPER VISIT: Years 5 and 6 students from Humpty Doo Primary School join V8 Supercar driver Chaz Mostert and sailors from HMAS Coonawarra at the Navy display at Hidden Valley raceway. Inset, LSMT Ashley Schmidt on the track.

Photos: LAC David Cotton and LEUT Andrew Ragless

3, 2, 1, GO!: CO HMAS Coonawarra CMDR Ben Favelle accepts a race challenge by ABWTR Gabrielle Foote in Team Navy’s V8 Supercar simulator at HMAS Coonawarra. Photo: ABIS James Whittle

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11NEWS July 5, 2012

Michael Brooke

SENIOR sailors gained invaluable insights into the issues confronting Navy when WO-N, in company with CWO-Fleet, CWO-CM and CWO-DS, con-ducted leadership engagement sessions in Sydney from June 4-8.

WO -N WO Mark Tandy sa id the warrant officer and senior sailor engagement sessions addressed the strategic challenges facing Navy and allowed for discussions about cultural and leadership change.

“The leadership engagement initia-tive is designed to provide enlisted per-sonnel with a better understanding of the strategic issues confronting CN,” he said.

“The leadership engagement is a component of NGN’s Signature Behaviours of communicating well and frequently, to improve workplace under-standing of organisational tasks and goals.”

The leadership discussions focused on removing training bottlenecks that impact on sailors, restructuring FSU-Australia, the Rizzo Review recom-mendations, absorbing new technologies such as the Landing Helicopter Dock and the Air Warfare Destroyer, cultural reform initiatives, Navy’s capacity for high-end warfighting and the implica-tions of the recent budget.

WO Tandy said challenges were compounded by the economic climate

which has seen some Strategic Reform Project(SRP) savings fast-tracked along with general belt-tightening across Defence.

“However, importantly for Navy this budget also includes the reaffirmation of the Government’s ongoing commit-ment to the future submarine program, commitments to hold our uniformed workforce strength at current levels and to provide additional funds to maintain Navy’s ageing capabilities,” he said.

“In managing the impact of these adjustments on Navy, CN’s focus remains on the provision of ships, air-craft and properly trained people for operations and the generation of our core maritime and war fighting skills.”

WO Tandy said in terms of leader-ship and culture there were signs of suc-cess with Navy’s three cultural change programs – NGN, SRP and Pathway to Change.

He said although the NGN initia-tive was only three years old it had already contributed to a 35 per cent drop in unauthorised alcohol consumption, 70 per cent reduction in illicit substance abuse, 60 per cent drop in unacceptable behaviour and a 77 per cent reduction in abuse of power.

“It’s going to take time, but the ben-efits are already being seen across the organisation” he said.

The sessions were conducted at Fleet Headquarters, HMAS Kuttabul, HMAS Penguin, HMAS Watson and HMAS Waterhen as well as Defence Plaza.

Michael Brooke

THE Navy signature behaviour of ‘communicate well and regu-larly’ was the major theme when the Command Warrant Officer Divisional System (CWO-DS) visit-ed Naval establishments in Sydney.

CWO-DS WO Robert Drew visited Fleet Headquarters, HMAS Kuttabul, HMAS Penguin, HMAS Watson and HMAS Waterhen as well as Defence Plaza from June 4-8 to explain the importance of regular divisional meetings and the new divisional Handy Billy system.

WO Drew said divisional meet-ings ensured regular communication through the chain of command.

“Divisional staff listen to divi-sional member’s suggestions and opinions, and disseminate them up the chain of command,” he said.

“This ensures the strategic requirements of Navy are rein-forced, including instilling ADF standards of personal conduct and behaviour, providing a balanced approach to divisional expectation.”

All personnel are expected to contribute at divisional meetings, which should comprise no more than 15-30 people and be held monthly.

The divisional toolbox, located within the Navy toolbox section of the Navyweb homepage, contains a series of presentations for divi-sional staff to use as the foundation of monthly divisional meetings.

These presentations contain accurate, current and key messages for all personnel, and will ensure they are kept well informed of Navy and Defence issues.

WO Drew said the divisional

Handy Billy had also been rolled out to further assist divisional staff to locate information within the Defence intranet.

“The site is designed to act as a favourites page, containing links and redirections to reference docu-ments and web pages containing important, relevant and current information to be used in support-ing and managing Navy people,” he said.

Handy Billy is also designed for personnel to research information for personal development and edu-cation, to promote self reliance and personal independence.

For further information contact CWO-DS WO Robert Drew on (02) 6265 3623 or robert.drew1@defence.gov.au

Leadership sessions with WO-N

STRATEGIC THINKING: CWO WO Martin Holzberger addresses senior sailors in Sydney to discuss leadership engagement and communication. Photo: ABIS Richard Cordell

‘Handy Billy’ to help with overall communication

CURRENT and former reservists who attended the Reserve Forces Day celebrations on July 1 were presented with an official commemorative certificate signed by the Governor-General Quentin Bryce.

“I join my fellow Australians in honouring our reservists, their com-passion, and their dedi-cation to the safety and security of our nation,” Ms Bryce said.

This year’s celebra-tion paid tribute to Australia’s Boer War servicemen and recog-nised their descendants, marking the 110th anniversary of the war.

Reservists honoured

SEAWORTHINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM12 13July 5, 2012

WHY Seaworthiness?Our mission – to fight and win at sea – depends on the

capabilities that all of us in Navy are responsible for delivering.

In addition to Navy, that also involves the DMO, the DSG, CIO Group and all the other parts of Defence which contribute to Navy capabilities.

Essential to delivering our capa-bilities is our need to know that we can deliver and sustain them.

In other words, we need to be assured that our ships can go to sea, conduct and sustain operations and that we understand and can effectively manage the safety, envi-ronmental and all other risks.

Our recent experience with the LPAs, HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla, has taught all of us that we have to be able to understand the combined effects of all the chal-lenges and risks across everything that goes into delivering and sus-taining our capabilities.

Many of us knew there were problems in many areas to do with the LPAs, but Navy didn’t get, or really understand, the total picture until the results of the Seaworthiness Board’s overall assessment of them in 2010.

We cannot afford failure to understand the combined effects of many and varied problems across a range of aspects of our capabilities until the point of major failure has been reached.

We cannot just assume that things will work.

Navy – all of us – along with everyone else in Defence involved in supporting our capabilities, needs to manage for and deliver Seaworthiness – the assured ability of our ships and units to operate effectively and safely within toler-able risk.

That is why I have directed the development of a Defence Seaworthiness Management System

which came into effect across Navy and Defence from July 1.What does the Seaworthiness Management System look like?

The Seaworthiness Management System joins up what we currently do in regulatory activity, applying standards and assuring compliance.

So, many existing elements of the Defence Seaworthiness Management System are already familiar to us, such as certifica-tion and licensing arrangements like those applied in the submarine capability.

The difference that the Defence Seaworthiness Management System makes is to bring their outcomes together, so that we will make bet-ter decisions on Seaworthiness, informed by being able to see the whole picture.

The Defence Seaworthiness Management System will be pro-gressively introduced during the next 12 months.

It will build on the work of the Seaworthiness Board which was established in 2010.

This is a significant change in the way we manage the integrity of our capability.

Seaworthiness is not an engi-neering issue, it really does impact each and every one of us – we will have safer, more operationally effec-tive systems as a result.

LETTER FROM CN VADM RAY GRIGGS INTRODUCING

SEAWORTHINESS

SEAWORTHINESS is the key to Navy’s maritime capability. Navy’s systems, ships and other units, and all that goes into sus-

taining and operating them, must be able to support particular missions or func-tions well.

Beyond that, Navy needs to be sure how the whole ship can operate and be sustained.

We need to be sure we can deliv-er and sustain all the essentials while we’re deployed.

Seaworthiness is the basis upon which delivering all our capabilities depends.

The Seaworthiness Management System is a response to the many recent reviews into failings by Defence to sat-isfy Government’s expectations for the delivery of maritime capability.

The Seaworthiness Management System is envisaged to be compre-hensive, ensuring maritime mission systems: maximise the likelihood of achieving, and continuing to achieve, defined operational outcomes; pose only tolerable risk to personnel, public safety and the environment; and will underpin capability management, assur-ing the essential foundation for, and integrity of, our capabilities.

The system will not compete with,

replace or duplicate existing prepar-edness management, but will provide assurance that Navy ships and other units can support preparedness require-ments.

The importance of this message is reflected in the appointment of CN VADM Ray Griggs as the Defence Seaworthiness Authority.

This appointment makes CN respon-sible for the development of the new Seaworthiness Management System and accountable for maritime capability across the whole ADF.

The Seaworthiness Management System will ensure inputs to capability can be regulated and that problems or

risks can be identified and corrective action taken.

It will provide assurance about the integrity of Navy’s ships, systems, equip-ment and people and will inform our actions and decisions about fitness for sea.

The Seaworthiness Management System will assist recognising and rec-tifying issues and balance this with cur-rent and future requirements.

T h is u n i f y i ng Seawor th i ness Ma nagement Sys t em a nd clea r Seaworthiness Authority are vital to understanding the ADF has a maritime capability for today and tomorrow.

Navy cur rently does much of what is required to achieve effective

Seaworthiness management. The dif-ference will be achieved through bring-ing assurance and regulatory activities within a more integrated system, ensur-ing that we join up the various areas of knowledge and understand their com-bined effects.

Most importantly, Seaworthiness management is not just a passing change. Nor is it just what engineers and specialists do.

This common understanding of Seaworthiness will apply throughout Defence.

Like NGN and Navy Values, a Seaworthiness culture, and effective Seaworthiness management, must be an integral and permanent part of what we all do.

We all have a role to play in contrib-uting to Seaworthiness.

Everyone in Navy contributes to capability, either directly or indirectly.

If you are part of delivering support to Navy capabilities, then you are part of achieving Seaworthiness.

It is up to all of us to make sure that our contribution and our work is aimed at achieving and maintaining seaworthi-ness, and supporting capability.

Very close working relationships between Navy and DMO are essential.

TODAY ANDTOMORROW

‘‘‘‘– Stores Accounting Officer CPOSN

Kathryn Holmes, of HMAS Sydney

Seaworthiness makes sense and is a simple way to describe the system that enables us to get off the wharf and safely get to sea to do what we do.‘‘‘‘

– Operations officer LEUT Chris Emonson, of HMAS Sydney

The Seaworthiness Management System establishes an overarching framework for HMAS Sydney to maintain capability and achieve its mission to fight and win at sea.

WORTHY ROLE: AB Keely Slis and AB Zac Hind account for essential ship stores for HMAS Sydney during their maintenance period alongside Fleet Base East, Sydney. Photos: LSIS Jo Dilorenzo

SHARING SKILLS: Weapons Electrical Engineering Officer CMDR Joe Carroll is shown the break down of rounds by Marine Engineering Officer LCDR Mark Stone-Tolcher.

LISTEN AND LEARN: ABBM Harry Wilson briefs officers and sailors of the day’s outstanding work, on the forecastle of HMAS Sydney.

KEEPING CHECK: ABMT Joel Ferguson conducts maintenance checks in the Galley on HMAS Sydney.

FORWARD PLANNING: ABCK Marcus Dewberry and ABCK Matthew Scott prepare stores for HMAS Sydney’s new menu when she sets sail after maintenance.

The Defence Seaworthiness Management System came into effect on July 1 and will put into practice lessons learned from the Seaworthiness Board’s 2010 assessment. Seaworthiness is the

assured ability of Navy ships and units to operate effectively and safely within tolerable risk. Seaworthiness is for today and tomorrow.

� Seaworthiness management focus-es on three outcomes: operational effectiveness, safety and protection of the environment.

� CN is the Defence Seaworthiness Authority.

� Phased implementation is to com-mence from July 2012.

� The focus of the Airworthiness System is on suitability for flight.

� Accordingly, Seaworthiness man-agement is like, but not the same as, Airworthiness Management.

� A Seaworthiness board will pro-vide CN with independent judge-ments as to the effectiveness of Seaworthiness management.

� Seaworthiness will be assured using regulation, certification and licensing.

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14 TRAININGJuly 5, 2012

LEUT Debra Holland

NAVY’S core values of courage and teamwork were put into practice when reserve and permanent health profession-als came together for survival at sea train-ing during Exercise Bluestokes.

Back in their civilian roles, the reserves rely on their training to make the correct life-saving decisions on behalf of their patients.

But what about saving their own lives should they find themselves as a pas-senger in a ditched helicopter at sea one night?

Would they have the ability to safely exit the aircraft and survive in open waters or a life raft until rescue?

Navy health personnel are classed as “frequent over water flyers” due to their call out on aeromedical evacuations.

That is why the helicopter underwater escape training (HUET) component of Bluestokes is a prerequisite for all reserve medical and nursing officers deployed to ship based operations.

It aims to build operational readiness and enables integration with permanent

members in a military working envi-ronment. As they arrived at the Naval Aviation Sea Survival Centre (NASSC), at HMAS Albatross, there was no doubt this group would be stepping outside their comfort zone both mentally and physi-cally.

The trainees were strapped into the Modular Egress Training Simulator, which replicates various ADF helicopter seat and exit positions.

Then, under the watchful eye of instructors and safety divers, they were put through a series of underwater sce-narios to replicate some of the stresses and disorientation that could be encoun-tered, including 180 degree inversion and limited visibility.

The survival at sea training continued as the teams worked together to perform “wet-winching” and life-raft drills, all aimed at increasing capability and con-fidence in surviving an actual helicopter ditching.

Bluestokes also covered rotary wing aeromedical evacuation, acute mental health on operations, advanced life sup-port, early management of severe trauma and mandatory annual awareness training.

LEUT Debra Holland

THE afternoon is cold and wet from the sleeting rain and the downdraft from the low-hovering helicopter is making it difficult to maintain the grip of the para-guard supporting the critically wounded soldier.

It is hard going, but as part of an aeromedical evacuation team, your responsibility is to ensure the safe transport of your patient to a nearby ship for treatment.

Fortunately, the patient in this case was an 80kg mannequin at the HMAS Albatross airfield during the final day of rotary

wing aeromedical evacuation (RWAME) training.

However, there was no let up in the focus and pace of the Exercise Bluestokes trainees as they care-fully tended their “patient” and carried “him” across the muddy ground to safety.

This was the third year the consolidated training exercise for reserve health professionals was conducted following the suc-cess of the inaugural Bluestokes initiative in 2010.

RWAME training is one of the most sought after components within Bluestokes and a prerequisite for deployment to

areas of operation, humanitarian missions and remote postings.

Under the guidance of instructors from Health Operational Conversion Unit, RAAF Base Amberley and with the support of 808 and 816SQNs from Albatross, the trainees were taught how to apply their professional skills within the confines of a Navy airframe.

Subjects covered in the intensive four-day course included physiology and the stresses of flight, in-flight patient care, aircraft and airfield safety and also equipment and emergency procedures.

Life-saving skills at sea

DON’T LOOK DOWN: A Bluestokes trainee is winched into a Seahawk during training. Photo: LSIS Yuri Ramsey

Air rescue and evacuation

HELPING HAND: Trainees simulate carrying a casualty from an MRH-90 during rotary wing medical evacuation training at HMAS Albatross. Photo: LSIS Yuri Ramsey

DEEP BREATH: LEUT Natalie Boulton emerges from the Modular Egress Training System at the HUET pool at HMAS Albatross. Photo: ABIS Hayley Clarke

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15TRAINING July 5, 2012

LAC Bill Solomou

LONG days are nothing new for the crew at the ADF Basic Flying Training School (BFTS) in Tamworth, where Navy, Army and Air Force pilots get their first taste of flying.

According to CO WGCDR Dennis Tan, the professionalism of the staff and the enthusiasm of the students play a part in the school’s success.

“I think the school is the best basic flying training school anywhere in the world,” he said.

“It is the cornerstone of all ADF pilot training and our partnership with BAE Systems ensures it is, and remains, world-class.”

It is also where dreams are made and shattered.

Of the 275 candidates selected each year to attend a 10-day flight-screen-ing course, between 100 and 150 get panelled to do the BFTS course and about a third of those don’t succeed.

Currently on the senior ADF BFTS course, MIDN Alex Clothier has been following his dream since the age of seven.

His opinion of the CT4B airtrainer as a hardworking and fun aircraft to fly is echoed by most of the students on course.

“The school is full-on, but it’s a lot of fun,” he said.

“You have to put in the effort but the payoff is definitely worth it.”

MIDN Lisa Blakiston said she

enjoyed the course because she was working towards something she really wanted to do.

“I’m loving my time here on course,” she said.

“It’s such a unique situation to be in, it’s unlike anything else I have ever done.”

While on the initial 24-week course, students undertake theory instruction classes including aerody-namics, aircraft systems, airmanship, cockpit systems, morse code, naviga-tion and meteorology.

And then, of course, there are fly-ing lessons conducted on the CT4B.

The qualified flight instructors (QFIs) come from across the three services and can do more than 500 hours of flying a year. Ten QFIs rotate through the school each year.

Senior naval officer ‘A’ Flight Commander LCDR Nathan Lewis said navy students came from three differ-ent sources – ADFA, HMAS Creswell and seaman officers that wanted to become pilots.

“Three Navy QFIs are posted to BFTS, they fly over three times a day and conduct all levels of training,” LCDR Lewis said

“BFTS operates at a very high tempo; it is an excellent facility and has everything that students and instructors need.”

LCDR Lewis encouraged any of the Navy squadrons to visit the school.

“It would give the students a real buzz,” he said.

Nothing basic about course

FLYING HIGH: MIDN Lisa Blakiston attends a lesson while on the basic flying course. Inset, CO BFTS WGCDR Dennis Tan congratulates LCDR Nathan Lewis on completing 20 years of service. Photos: LAC Bill Solomou

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16 TRAININGJuly 5, 2012

LEUT Tony White

SEAHAWKS typically carry an all-weather tag during their mis-sions, but crews weren’t expect-ing the weather they faced when 816SQN arrived on an Air Force C-17-A Globemaster for the Tamex anti-submarine warfare (ASW) exercise off Perth in June.

The storms hit during the mid-dle of the exercise, requiring some sorties to be cancelled and others reprogrammed.

Some Navy members also helped out with storm relief follow-ing the equivalent of a category two cyclone.

The storm left 160,000 hous-es without power, saw a mini tor-nado damage parts of Perth, and produced fronts that had civilian authorities urging their employees to go home early.

Exercise planners factored in mountains of meteorological data as they plotted out a program that was designed to safely but surely

test their planning skills, as much as those of air and ground crews.

Navy’s ‘submarine killers’ then prepared for an anti-submarine exercise that would test the f ly-ing skills of Navy pilots and their integration with both Air Force AP-3Cs and the US Navy’s new P8-A Poseidon aircraft, set to replace the existing P3 Orion.

The USN and RAAF aircraft joined the Seahawks to provide ASW surveillance and interdiction that brought a new level of tech-nology and warfighting capability.

CO 816SQN CMDR Grant O’Loughlan described the exercise as a step up in intensity for squad-ron personnel that would serve them well in any future actual ASW.

“Our Navy members were doing a great job in storm recov-ery but the thing about training for warlike activities is that they can occur in any weather,” CMDR O’Loughlan said.

“Our air and ground crews need to be fully prepared for fast

turnarounds in the middle of thehunt for a hostile submarine, sothey are in and out and refuelledand rearmed in the fastest, yet saf-est manner possible.

“Sure some of the flying weath-er was rough, but the whole pointof this type of exercise is to getour members up to speed withinthe safety and mission effective-ness parameters that are expectedof them.”

CMDR O’Loughlan said whileflying at 200 feet above the oceansearching for a hostile sub in roughweather was not for everyone,Seahawk crews demonstrated theyknew how to do it well and safelyover the course of Tamex.

“Anti-submarine warfare is atthe higher end of the ADF’s techni-cal capability and combined withthe new capability provided by theUS Navy over the course of thisactivity, the Australian people canbe entirely confident we are fullycapable of operating at that higherend,” he said.

Wild weather rocks Tamex

SKILLS SHARING: LSATV Michael Evans and ABATV Nathan Sharpe prepare to load the counter-measure dispenser system into a Seahawk. Photos: ABIS Alan Lancaster

TAKE-OFF: A 816SQN Seahawk from the Helicopter Support Facility, HMAS Stirling, hovers above the tarmac before a sortie to launch sonar buoys and search for submarines during the anti-submarine exercise Tamex 12-2 in Perth, WA. Despite the rough weather, Air Force, Navy and US Navy pilots honed their flying skills and warfighting capability during the exercise.

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17GANGWAY July 5, 2012

“PERMISSION TO CLOSE GRANTED”: These words signalled the start of a unique experience for HMAS Ballarat during a short-notice passing exercise with the USS George Washington Carrier Strike Group on June 13 while transiting from Japan to Guam. Above, LEUT Sarah Nash is welcomed to HMAS Ballarat by SBLT Miquela Riley, while below, HMAS Ballarat steams alongside the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Cowpens while in formation with the US Navy’s aircraft carrier USS George Washington. Photo below: Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Paul Kelly, US Navy

ON DECK: Enjoying a deployment in summer rig, sailors from HMAS Darwin pose in front of the ship’s embarked Seahawk while en route to Hawaii for RIMPAC.

ALL CLEAR: ABCD Jon Broad passes a signal via portable radio during Clearance Dive Team 1’s Unit Readiness Evaluation at the Australian Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. The assessment included searching the wharf and waterline for suspicious activity and objects. Photo: LSIS Jo Dilorenzo

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18 PERSONNELJuly 5, 2012

THUMBS UP THUMBS DOWN

�EVENT: Two nurses assisted in a medical emergency on a commercial fl ight from Sydney to Perth. A female passenger became unresponsive and received emergency fi rst aid from the two nurses. On their advice, the pilot diverted the plane to Adelaide where the patient was transferred to hospital.

OUTCOME: The nurses demonstrated professionalism, leadership, compassion and devotion and are a great credit to themselves and Navy. This action has improved awareness of the good work being done by Navy and its people within the wider Australian public.

�EVENT: A senior sailor who was found to have engaged in inappropriate relationships with members under his command was the subject of an administrative inquiry into his conduct.

OUTCOME: The senior sailor accepted responsibility for his actions and acknowledged the consequences his conduct had on his ship, his command team, and his career. He had a censure imposed on him.

Nuala Bethell

THE Junior Warfare Application Course (JWAC) Mentoring Program has given experienced maritime war-fare officers the opportunity to transfer their wisdom and experience to the next generation of Navy leaders.

The mentors provide career advice and guidance to junior officers commencing their JWAC training, helping them navigate new waters and decide what will be best for their careers and ultimately for Navy.

D i r e c t o r N a v y Wa r f a r e Requirements CAPT Chris Smith said the mentoring system was a great way of linking personal and professional experiences to what the junior officers were learning on course.

“The nirvana for the mentoring program is to provide the best information to our junior officers so they can make a good decision about what specialisation they want to move into in the future,” CAPT Smith said.

Mentors help to s t rengthen relationships across Navy through the development of an open, inclusive and encouraging learning environment.

The officer in charge of JWAC, LEUT Sally Blackmore, on HMAS Watson, said the mentors were only a

few years ahead of the junior officers in their naval careers.

“The mentors are really not that far ahead of these junior officers as they join,” LEUT Blackmore said.

“They’ve commenced the i r specialisation stream and they’re not too far removed that they can’t remember what it was like to be a young junior officer just starting JWAC.”

However, the mentoring program is not solely focused on career development. It is also designed to support the wellbeing of personnel.

Mentor LEUT Darren McDevitt said the mentoring program provided crucial support to junior officers during a challenging time in their careers.

“Being a warfare officer is a challenging profession,” he said.

“You spend a lot of time at sea. But through the mentoring program you can pick up a lot of tips about life at sea, your career, your family and your lifestyle. These are all things that people before you have dealt with.”

If you are interested in volunteering as a mentor, or you want to learn more about the JWAC mentoring program, visit the NGN website at: http://intranet.defence.gov.au/navyweb/sites/NGN

System helps sailors navigate new waters

WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE: LEUT Darren McDevitt, 2IC RAN Diving School, says mentoring young Navy people is rewarding.

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Pastoral care on high seasWise advice for future brides and groomsSBLT Sarah West

WHEN CHAP Barry Porter joined HMAS Ballarat in February for a four-month deployment, he found that a number of the ship’s company were planning on getting married when they returned to Australia.

This led the Presbyterian chaplain, who has been mar-ried for 32 years, to think about the chal-lenges associated with marriage and the preparation required to get a person ready for such a commitment.

To help personnel prepare to tie the knot, CHAP Porter planned a marriage preparation course for interested members.

“The course aims to give participants the basic core skills they need to begin a relationship by preparing them to think about issues they probably hadn’t thought about in the rush of love,” CHAP Porter said.

“Any successful relationship is built on friendship first and I encourage all of the young lovers to become friends before they enter into a physical relationship.”

Ten members of Ballarat’s crew took part in the course, which was completed in five sessions at sea.

LS Michael Hines will marry his partner Kylie on Ballarat’s flight deck later this month on the same day the Anzac-class frigate returns to Australia.

LS Hines said he took part in the course to get some tips on how to have a successful marriage.

“I have learned a lot of skills through the course, like how to communicate in different ways, and how to make time to communicate,” he said.

“When you get communication down pat, everything else just falls into place.

“If you can’t communicate, then you shouldn’t be getting married.”

The course was designed to be run for both partners, but CHAP Porter said it had been adapted for life in the Navy.

“The idea is that the officers and sailors take the lessons they have learnt home, and teach them to their partners,” he said.

Members of Ballarat’s crew who completed the course, and those already wed, will now have the opportunity to take part in a marriage enrichment course.

“To help them steer the right course and have long and happy unions,” CHAP Porter said.

MARRIAGE TIPS: CHAP Barry Porter with the marriage preparation course he ran on board HMAS Ballarat. Photo: LSIS Paul Berry

19PERSONNEL July 5, 2012

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21HEALTH July 5, 2012

Keeping an eye on thingsJulEYE is eye health month and Dr Dorothy Coote, of JHC, says it is a timely reminder to think about how we treat our most valuable asset.

THE human eye is a complex sensor capable of extraordinary feats. It’s actually like a camera.

Rod and cone cells in the retina (the ‘camera film’ of the eye) allow light perception and vision.

We can differentiate colour – up to 10 million different shades – and both our eyes working together allow us to perceive depth with amazing accuracy.

Unfortunately, Australians suffer dis-abling eye injuries each year and almost all are preventable with a little fore-thought.

Owing to the conditions experienced on deployment, and the nature of some ADF workplaces, personnel should be mindful of the need for eye protection when needed.

The use of ballistic eye protection on operations is an obvious example but there are many more subtle threats.

One of the most common causes of eye damage results from exposure to damaging UV radiation from the sun.

In the short term, damage can cause excessive watering of the eyes, swelling and general irritation, including acute sensitivity to glare.

The corneal surface of the eye can also be severely damaged by excessive unprotected exposure to sunlight at high altitude (snow blindness), or when sun-light is reflected from surfaces such as water, sand or concrete.

Long-term UV damage can result in the formation of cataracts, growth

of cancers on the conjunctiva, the thin membrane covering the eye, and skin cancers on the eyelids.

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By simply wearing a good pair of sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat.

When choosing sunglasses it is essential to purchase a wrap-around style pair and ensure they have a high sun protection factor (SPF) rating to give as much protection from UV radia-tion as possible.

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The workplace can also be an unfriendly place for the eyes, with the most common eye-related injury being a foreign body in the eye.

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22 SPORTJuly 5, 2012

SAILORS from Fleet Base East and HMAS Kuttabul tackled their counterparts from the Chilean Navy in rugby and soccer on June 20, but found the foreigners too hot to handle.

The RAN sailors drew 1-1 in the soccer but surprisingly lost the rugby 29-15 in a match dominated by the sailors from the Esmeralda training ship.

Esmeralda berthed in Sydney for a five-day port call and playing the RAN in rugby and soccer was at the top of the wish list for the visiting sailors.

In rugby the RAN opened the scoring early in the first half, but ran out of steam in the second half after an even half-time score-line of 12-12.

LS Lyle Smith, of Fleet Support

Unit Sydney, scored two great tries but even his attacking brilliance wasn’t enough to keep the RAN in the hunt in the second half.

Team captain, LEUT Haydn Jenkins, said his squad played extremely well considering it included five Australian Rules players from HMA Ships Sydney, Parramatta, Tobruk and Choules, who had not played rugby before.

“It was a fun game, with no injuries, that achieved the aim of strengthening bonds between the RAN and the Chilean Navy,” he said.

The Chileans were helped along by a New Zealand exchange stu-dent and four ring-ins from HMAS Sydney and Fleet Support Unit Sydney.

The soccer match was a thrilling encounter with both goals coming late in the second-half.

RAN captain LS Alex Rossi said the squad comprised players from HMA Ships Tobruk and Choules, who did much to restore Navy pride after the shock loss in the rugby.

LS Rossi said all the players were exceptional but none better than goal-keeper LS John Lockett who pulled off three crucial saves.

AB David Norena, of HMAS Choules, scored the goal that gave the RAN the lead until the last five minutes when the visitors slotted home a penalty.

LS Lockett’s finger-tip deflec-tion wasn’t enough to stop the ball going into the net for the equaliser.

“The match against such a tal-ented team was further prepara-tion for us for the triservice foot-ball championship in Sydney in November,” LS Rossi said.

A last-minute penalty to win

SPORTS DAY: LS Lyle Smith, of HMAS Watson, runs the ball up against the Chilean team from Esmeralda (above) as AB David Norena, HMAS Choules, kicks the ball in the soccer match against the visitors. Photos : Michael Brooke

Skydivers jump at chance for crestsTEN enthusiastic ADF skydivers launched themselves from a plane at 14,000ft, during a free-flying skills camp at Picton.

T h e A u s t r a l i a n D e f e n c e Parachuting Association (ADPA) sky-divers hurtled at 250km/hr on June 9-10 to enhance their skills of belly-to-earth skydiving and vertical flight.

L S G l e n n H o y e s , H M A S Albatross, has been parachuting since 2005. Free-flying is a challenging skydiving discipline requiring hours of freefall experience to master the required flying skills and he was delighted to take part in the camp to achieve his full free-fly crest. He is now eligible for selection to represent Defence as a Navy member in an ADF vertical formation skydiving team.

Experienced free-flyers, ADPA President CAPT Fransisca Molnar and CPL Kyle Chick, of 6RAR, teamed up with three of Australia’s elite civilian free-flyers to help the skydivers com-

plete their 12 jumps. The other partici-pants were also awarded the Australian Parachute Federation (APF) free-fly crests, with two jumpers bringing home the goods in both vertical and inverted competencies.

A free-fly crest is the civilian Australian parachuting regulatory authority qualification allowing sky-divers to free-fly with others who are not qualified vertical flight tutors, and the teams now hope to represent Defence in national and international events and also the Defence National Sports Parachute Championships in December.

Australian free-flying skydiving tutor Erica Tadokoro coached at the camp and said, “I enjoyed watching everyone’s skills develop throughout the weekend. Keep up the good work!”

To join the ADPA or for more information email sky.diving@defence.gov.au

– Cont from back page

“If it wasn’t for the pain of 10 and a half hours out on course it would have been enjoyable and some of the race was bordering on enjoyable, like seeing other ADF guys and friends achieve their challenges in competing.”

In regards to his success this year, CPO Purcell said he hadn’t really done anything different but had competed more this year than he had in the past couple of years.

“I was deployed last year so couldn’t compete and my latest posting has probably enabled me to enter more competitions and each race I just concentrate on competing against myself and not others which is really what the sport is all about to me anyway.”

In the finale to the Australian

Capping off season with a win

‘‘‘‘D e f e n c e S p o r t s Tr i a t h l o n Association (ADSTA) season, 33 ADF competitors competed in the half-ironman and ironman races which were run in conjunc-tion with the Challenge Cairns Festival – 23 in the half marathon (1.9km swim, 90km ride, 21.1km run) and 10 in the marathon.

In both events, the ride took competitors up the Captain Cook Highway towards Port Douglas along the beautiful coast-line with the run taking com-

petitors through the canefields before finally running on to the Esplanade back in Cairns.

CPO Purcell said the triath-lon season would start again in October but his next challenge would be the 100km Oxfan run in Sydney in August.

“I didn’t qualify for Hawaii unfortunately but I wish all the guys going the best.

“It’s certainly something to aim for in the future.”

I just concentrate on competing against myself and not others.

- CPO Shanon Purcell

AIRBORNE: LS Glenn Hoyes completes a jump over Picton in a free-flying camp.

23SPORT July 5, 2012

Michael Brooke

SMN David Bolger won the Eastern Australian Areas Squash Competition at Willoughby Squash Club in Sydney.

SMN Bolger, of HMAS Watson, edged out AB Matt Brown, of Fleet Support Unit Sydney, in the final.

After a series of grading rounds in which all players played at least four games, the final eight battled it out in knockout form, with SMN Bolger emerging triumphant.

“I was able to get on top early because AB Brown had a harder road to the final than I did so he was more worn out than me,” SMN Bolger said.

SMN Bolger is ready for the Defence national tournament to be played at RAAF Williamtown from August 5 to 10.

“It will be a tough event. There are some good players from all the services. I’m looking forward to it and hoping I’ll be fit enough to be competitive,” he said.

The other semi-finalists in Sydney were CPO Doug Tebbitt, of 808 Naval Air Station, and LS Dale Walker, of Fleet Support Unit, with encouragement prizes being awarded to AB Will Norton and

CPL Max Bree

QUEENSLAND teams were victori-ous at the Australian Defence hockey championships in Sydney from June 10 to 22.

The Queensland women upset a star-studded NSW 4-1 and the men downed the ACT 3-2 with a goal in the dying seconds of the respective finals.

Members of the three services played in the tournament, representing their states rather than Air Force, Army or Navy.

The Queensland players wore black armbands in memory of Queensland hockey player CPL Ashley Birt, who was killed in Afghanistan last year.

With about half the ADF team fill-ing their ranks, the NSW women were in fine form going into the final against an injury-racked Queensland side left with one reserve.

That did not stop the Maroon women from smashing two unan-swered goals in the first half and an icy wind did not cool the Queenslanders’ form as they came up with the first goal of the second half.

The NSW side scored with 13 min-utes remaining.

But the Queenslanders had the final say, sealing the deal with a goal in the last two minutes.

LEUT Harriet Cameron, from HMAS Albatross, drafted into the Queensland side as goalie, was full of praise for her team.

“The Queensland girls were all over it,” she said. “There were only a couple of times where there was a bit of pressure on, but the girls handled it really well.

“They’ve been a great team to play for; they’ve been very inclusive even though I’m not from the state. They’ve been absolutely wonderful.”

NSW captain LS Talei Stoll blamed a communication breakdown for her team’s shock loss.

“Just our basic passing was proba-bly where we were let down,” she said.

“Queensland really worked together

MEN1st – Queensland2nd – ACT 3rd – NSW4th – Western

Australia5th – South

Australia/ Northern Territory

6th – Victoria

WOMEN1st – Queensland2nd – NSW3rd – ACT

STANDINGS

THREE Navy players have been named in the Australian Defence Tenpin Bowling Association (ADTBA) for the national championships at Rooty Hill, NSW, in October.

They are PO Brendan Parr, LS Francis Standen and SMN Chris Adams who were named after the ADTBA Combined Services championships at Campbelltown Tenpin Bowl in NSW from June 4-8.

AB Kelly Robinson was half of the ACT F combination that won the state-based doubles title.

LS Standen was part of the NSW B team that finished as runner up to NSW

C in the teams event. The Air Force won the interservice challenge trophy.

LAC James Wood won the singles competition and the Masters and SGT Gordon Evans (RAAF) won the GB plate.

The ADTBA national team is: Mark Jordan, LAC James Wood, AC Dan Soderman, Maj Jamie Arnell, LS Francis Standen, SGT Keiran Wyllie (RAAF), WO2 Rod Parker, SGT Michael Linke (RAAF), Maria Haw, WO2 Stephen Harland, Brett Kleidon, FSGT Brett Byers, SGT Paul Verrall (RAAF), CPL Dave Hogan (RAAF), Brian Elrick (APS), PO Brendan Parr, WO2 Steve Ritchie, SMN Chris Adams, CPL Jason Lindsay (RAAF).

Three named in tenpin strikeforce

Eastern champ looks ahead to nationals

SMN Coen Powell for their commitment and enthusiasm.

This year’s Eastern Australian com-petition was held in May, for the third year running, at Willoughby Squash Club and attracted 17 participants – pre-dominantly from Navy in the Sydney and Nowra areas with support from RAAF Richmond and Glenbrook.

For Defence national titles information con-tact CMDR Nick Barker (02) 9359 4077, nicho-las.barker3@defence.gov.au or go to http://intranet.defence.gov.au/People/sites/Squash/

WEARING HIM DOWN: SMN David Bolger, front of photo, against AB Matt Brown. Photo: LSIS Brenton Freind

Queensland rules the hockey field

BLUES POWER: AB Kirsten Wilson, representing NSW, shoots for goal at the Australian Defence hockey championships. Photos: CPL Max Bree

as a team, they were looking to pass the ball to each other and really just had it all over us.”

The Queensland men got locked in an arm wrestle through most of the first half but slotted two goals before halftime in their final against ACT.

ACT hit back in the second half and locked the scores 2-2 with 15 minutes to go.

Things looked like going into extra-time until the Queenslanders surged into ACT territory in the dying seconds.

Their first shot bounced off the goalpost but the second slammed into the back of the box wrapping up the game.

LET’S STICK TOGETHER: NSW captain LS Talei Stoll, above, and, left, LCDR Barbra Parker (in blue) and PTE Amy Smith battle it out at the Defence hockey championships.

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AND MEDAL MOUNTING

Volume 55, No. 12, July 5, 2012

WIN CAPS YEAR

Sharon Palmer

AFTER being crowned ADF tri-athlon champion in April, CPO Shanon Purcell went one better in the final race of the season to take out the Defence triathlon national ironman in Cairns on June 3.

In doing so, CPO Purcell, of ADF Counter IED Taskforce, has decided he is not a big fan of sugar canefields.

“About half of the 42.2km run leg was in the canefields in the heat of the day and it was the biggest challenge of the race for me,” CPO Purcell said.

“The temperature reached about 28 on the day, but in the fields it is quite protected, there is no breeze and it feels like it’s about 40 degrees.

“Unlike a lot of the other com-petitors I am based in Canberra

so I am sure getting a taste of the extremes.”

He said the support of other ADF competitors and his wife and friends helped him get through the gruelling run.

“My wife cycled out and really encouraged me to keep going and a couple of friends did the same and that really helped,” he said.

CPO Purcell finished the 3.8km swim, 180km ride and 42.2km run in an impressive time of 10hr 27min 52sec.

“For me it’s all about the chal-lenge,” CPO Purcell said.

“I was listening to a woman being interviewed the other day who had done something big in sport and she said that it shouldn’t be about time, it should be about the personal challenge and I really believe that.” – Continued page 22