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Address puts focus on safety – P7Building our future – P3

SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDE

NEWSNAVYVolume 60, No. 9, June 1, 2017

FULL AHEAD

Busy time for Ballarat – Centre

After taking part in the Singaporean Navy’s 50th Anniversary International Fleet Review, HMAS Ballarat steams towards Sattahip, Thailand, in company with Royal Thai Navy warship HTMS Sukhothai for Exercise AusThai. Photo: LSIS Bradley Darvill

2 NEWS www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS June 1, 2017

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Navy News is published fortnightly by the Directorate of Defence News. It is printed under contract by Horton Media Australia Ltd. The material published is selected for its interest. The views expressed in published articles are not necessarily those of Defence or Navy News. Every advertisement is sub-ject to Directorate of Defence News approval and the Directorate of Defence News may, at its discretion, refuse to accept an advertise-ment. The Directorate accepts no responsibil-ity or liability in relation to any loss due to the failure of an advertisement to appear or if it appears in a form not in accordance with the instructions received by the Directorate of Defence News. Defence does not endorse the products or services published in advertisements.

LEUT Will Singer

WESTERN Australia Police bolstered the Australian Navy’s security response capabilities by conducting “active shooter” threat scenarios at HMAS Stirling on April 28.

Working with the Rockingham Local Area Command, naval police coxswains and boatswains were equipped with practical strategies to quickly assess the type and severity of a threat, and to respond appro-priately.

WONPC Glen Wright said the purpose of the day was to conduct a joint training exercise to enhance

critical skills for dealing with poten-tial active armed offenders.

“Staff were provided from the Western Australia Police Academy, to give guidance and instruction,” WO Wright said.

“The day was a success with teams working through scenarios relating to the development and refinement of procedures in dealing with a security or force protection issue.

“The training opportunity has strengthened the relation-ship between Stirling and Western Australia Police.

“All members involved gained some valuable experience in clear-ing of rooms and buildings in

relation to dealing with a potential threat.”

South Metro Forensic Officer-in-Charge Sergeant Chris Campbell said it was an opportunity to share skills and knowledge with Stirling’s leadership team and staff.

“Stirling is a key piece of infrastructure in the South Metro District, and this enhanced relation-ship allows Western Australia Police to utilise a vast and unique facility, boosting both the police and naval capability in terms of counter terror-ism response,” SGT Campbell said.

“It also assists my team to pre-pare for any required response to a critical incident on the Island.”

Team leader POB Peter Crack

said the aim of the exercise was to enhance existing techniques.

“The police’s procedures for building clearance of a suspected intruder where a high probability of casualties, or an armed intruder exists, was excellent,” PO Crack said.

“Although the procedures are similar to ours, we learnt many tips and tactics, with officer safety being the number one priority at all times.”

Participants said they gained increased confidence and a greater understanding of the importance of a central point of command when dealing with high-pressure response scenarios.

Armed threat response

LSNPC Andrew Wright, left, and ABBM Luke Middleton simulate an active shooter incident in the Sir James Stirling Mess Annex during an exercise with members of Western Australia Police at HMAS Stirling. Photo: ABIS James McDougall

Darwin waves the flag in HobartLCDR Jason O’Gorman

AFTER farewelling Brisbane recently, HMAS Darwin headed to Hobart last month – her penultimate port of call on her farewell visit to coastal capital cities.

The frigate’s visit to Brisbane coin-cided with the first anniversary since the local base, HMAS Moreton, was recom-missioned.

On the way to Hobart, the crew was put through its paces in various ship evo-lutions to hone skills in damage control, ship handling and electronic casualty con-trol drills.

The night before coming alongside in Hobart, Darwin dropped anchor near Port Arthur, where members of the ship’s com-pany went ashore to tour the historic peni-tentiary site.

Darwin hosted tours of the ship once alongside in Hobart. These included groups from DFR, Claremont College, Saint Aloysius School, Taroona Scout Group and the Australian American Association.

LEUT Lance Morris, who took the Scouts on their tour, said they asked him who the firefighters were on board. “I told them ‘everyone’,” he said

He said they were then kitted out in firefighting gear with breathing apparatus and told they had three minutes to get to a fire on the ship.

“This blew their minds,” he said. “They were positively buzzing when I farewelled them from the ship.”

The ship also received a special visitor, Phoebe Dunbabin, who was accompanied by her mother and father.

Miss Dunbabin’s name was etched into Darwin’s ship’s bell when she was chris-tened on the ship many years ago.

The Ship’s Warrant Officer, WOB Jack Parnell, said it was good to thank the com-munities for their support during the 33 years the ship has been in service.

“It was a good opportunity to wave the Darwin flag one final time before we decommission at the end of the year.” The city of Darwin will be the last port of call in November before decommissioning.

SMNCSO Harriet Shepperd, left, CO HMAS Darwin CMDR Phillip Henry, and MIDN Bonnie Galbraith on the ship’s flight deck while she was alongside at Macquarie Wharf, Hobart. Photo: Paul Redding

Address puts focus on safety – P7Building our future – P3

SERVING AUSTRALIA WITH PRIDE

NEWSNAVYVolume 60, No. 9, June 1, 2017

FULL AHEAD

Busy time for Ballarat – Centre

After taking part in the Singaporean Navy’s 50th Anniversary International Fleet Review, HMAS Ballarat steams towards Sattahip, Thailand, in company with Royal Thai Navy warship HTMS Sukhothai for Exercise AusThai. Photo: LSIS Bradley Darvill

3NEWSJune 1, 2017 www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS

ABCIS Mitchell Sutton (HMAS Choules)These new platforms are exciting and push boundaries in terms of Navy’s capability, now and into the future. Having the opportunity to work with and contribute to the operation and support of new technologies is not only fulfilling, it’s a fundamental part of our role.

LSCSO Samuel Rusnak (HMAS Canberra)It is great to use new and interest-ing technologies that contribute to future capability. There are opportunities for a new generation of sailors and officers to use this technology.

ABET Mitchell Beal (HMAS Choules)The new Air Warfare Destroyers like Hobart have world-class technology and I look forward to doing more ad-vanced training.

ABMT Tika Yeend (HMAS Choules)On board Choules we under-stand the opportunities present-ed as new capabilities come on line. Along with the satisfaction of being part of a team generat-ing and realising those capabili-ties, the future looks good.

LSMT Stephen Moyes (HMAS Choules)These new capabilities will allow the RAN to stand shoulder to shoulder with other navies around the world. It makes our jobs much more secure. I am proud of the new Navy capabilities and what we will be able to achieve.

ABML-S Phoebe Evans (HMAS Choules)There is no better time to be in the RAN. The new ships will be built for purpose to accommo-date the needs of all branches. This will encourage more people to consider rates like maritime logistics.

Building Navy’s future

POMT Adam Crich (HMAS Stirling)It’s really excit-ing times as the Navy moves towards a more advanced warfighting capability.

LSBM Adrian Medbury (HMAS Stirling)In an ever-changing global envi-ronment, I believe our Fleet will enable us to substantially meet just about any threat or incident we have to face – whether that’s within Australia or abroad.

SMNAWA Casey Crothers (HMAS Stirling)We’re definitely heading in the right direction with new ships, new opportuni-ties and a new Navy to continue strengthen-ing our defences.

WHAT THEY SAIDWe asked sailors what they thought about the new-generation ships being introduced into the Fleet

T H E A u s t r a l i a n G ove r n m e n t has issued Australia’s first Naval Shipbuilding Plan, outlining the nation’s largest ever program of naval shipbuilding and sustainment.

CN VADM Tim Barrett said the plan, announced officially on May 16, represented the most complex and technically challenging manufacturing endeavour Australia had ever contem-plated.

VADM Barrett said the plan involved an investment of about $90 billion to deliver three continuous build programs to provide Navy with a continuous capability to fight and win at sea.

He said the continuous build pro-gram would provide a more cost-effec-tive approach than disparate shipbuild-ing projects.

“Navy’s role will be funda-mental to the success of the Naval Shipbuilding Plan and require Navy to reconsider how it conducts busi-ness over the coming decades,” VADM Barrett said.

“It will be essential that Navy does all it can to ensure that continuous shipbuilding provides a solid foun-dation to a capable, lethal and agile navy.”

He said the complexity of the endeavour meant its success would rely on a large number of individual and interrelated initiatives to be imple-mented.

To assist in developing these ini-tiatives, a plan that provides guidance on how Navy would contribute to the Naval Shipbuilding Plan would be released soon.

Speaking at the Adelaide launch, Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne said the plan would ensure deliv-ery of the modern defence capabili-ties set out in the 2016 Defence White Paper, creating thousands of jobs and securing the naval shipbuilding and

SEA 1000 12 x submarines to replace six Collins -class

SEA 5000 9 x future frigates to replace Anzac-class

SEA 1180 12 x offshore patrol vessels to replace Armidale-class patrol boats

19 Pacific patrol boats for regional neighbours.

Navy will also receive the first of its new destroy-ers, Hobart, in the second half of this year, as well as its first of two Cantabria-class resupply ships in 2020/21.

WHAT IT PROVIDES

sustainment industry for future genera-tions of Australians.

“We are embarking on a great national endeavour,” Mr Pyne said.

“We will transform our naval shipbuilding and sustainment indus-try here in Australia, with Australian

workers, in Australian shipyards, using Australian resources.”

As part of the plan, more than $1.3 billion will be invested in the mod-ernisation of construction shipyards in South Australia and Western Australia.

Work will begin this year on the

development of infrastructure at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide.

The Henderson Maritime Precinct in Western Australia will also be upgraded. This will encompass con-struction of new cranes and heavy lift transportation capability, welding sta-

tions and upgrades to workshops and storage facilities, including new steel framed sheds.

The Naval Shipbuilding Plan is available at the Department of Defence website: http://www.defence.gov.au/navalshipbuildingplan/

Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne announces the launch of the Naval Shipbuilding Plan at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in Adelaide with VCDF VADM Ray Griggs, Minister for Defence Marise Payne and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Photo: CPL Colin Dadd

POB Liam Apps (HMAS Stirling)I like the prospect of the increase in our Navy’s surface fleet with more options for Navy members in the West to serve on oilers, patrol boats and frigates.

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A TEAM of ADF medical specialists deployed to Vietnam for the final phase of Exercise Pacific Partnership – the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assis-tance and disaster relief preparedness mis-sion conducted in the Asia-Pacific region.

For three weeks last month, Australian medical and nursing officers, together with others from the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan, worked alongside Vietnamese civilian and military medical personnel as part of the US-led mission.

Australian Contingent Commander and Navy nursing officer LCDR Alison Zilko said her team integrated well into the local hospitals.

“Despite the language barrier, and the need to work through interpreters, we built really strong working relationships with the doctors and nurses at Da Nang General Hospital, and with the medical personnel from all the nations participat-ing in Pacific Partnership 2017,” LCDR Zilko said.

“The hospital staff made us feel very welcome and this paved the way for us to share information and experience, and understand the differences in how we treat patients.

“This relationship will be incredibly valuable if we are called on to provide a joint response to a humanitarian assistance or disaster relief mission in our region, where natural disasters are an unfortunate and unpredictable part of life.”

As well as working in the local civil-ian and military hospitals, the Australian contingent conducted medical lectures to share their knowledge, visited local schools and community groups, and took part in humanitarian assistance and disas-ter relief response exercises, to test their interoperability with the participating nations.

Exercise Pacific Partnership aims to enhance regional coordination in areas

LEUT Sarah West

A CRUISE ship and a tanker col-lide and burst into flames, diesel fuel and oil are rapidly spilling into the Han River, five people are thrown into the water, one of the vessels starts to sink, and first responders from five nations rush to the scene.

This was the scenario of a major emergency response exercise con-ducted in Da Nang, Vietnam, last month as part of Exercise Pacific Partnership.

The emergency response exercise was led by the Vietnam People’s Armed Forces and local emergency services, with the visiting Pacific Partnership personnel from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan in support roles.

RAN nursing officer LEUT Angela French worked alongside Vietnamese doctors and nurses to tri-age role-playing patients who were retrieved from the water and brought ashore by the Vietnam Border Guard and the United States Marine Corps.

“Given the oil spill scenario, we were looking for inhalation prob-lems because there was immersion involved and it is not a good thing to have oil contaminants in your lungs,” LEUT French said.

“So we were primarily taking care of the patients’ airways and breathing.

“I was really surprised at just how well we were able to work together despite the language barrier.”

LEUT French said hand signals were the primary means of commu-nication.

“I let the doctor take the lead and he showed me what he wanted me to do,” she said.

“The result was that we were able to really work together as a team,

even though we couldn’t understand a word of each other’s language. You could really tell that the Vietnamese forces and emergency services prac-tise for these sorts of incidents a lot, because their response was so swift and efficient, and we really got patients from the scene into ambu-lances quickly.”

United States Marine Corps offic-er Major Charlie Hunt was one of the key planners for the involvement of the multinational Pacific Partnership group in the emergency response scenario.

He said he was pleased with the interoperability demonstrated.

“We prepare when there is not an emergency so that we are able to respond better and operate better together when there is an emergency,” Major Hunt said.

“The Pacific Partnership nations are here in Vietnam to get to know how our friends in this region work, and to learn each other’s strengths and weaknesses, so we can mutu-ally support each other in a time of disaster.

“This is absolutely what Pacific Partnership is all about – coming together with one mutual goal and then shaking hands and taking away lessons on how we can do things bet-ter when one of our friends in this region really needs our help.”

Vice-Chairman of Da Nang’s People Committee Ho Ky Minh wel-comed the involvement of the Pacific Partnership nations in the exercise.

“Incidents like this, which involve oil spill recovery, are very complex tasks which require swift inter-agency response,” Mr Ho Ky Minh said.

“This exercise scenario is an opportunity for Da Nang City to strengthen its cooperation with you all in this area.”

Responders tested by emergencyExercise prepares partners for disaster

‘‘– LCDR Alison Zilko,

Australian Contingent Commander and Royal

Australian Navy nursing officer

We built really strong working relationships with the doctors and nurses at Da Nang General Hospital.

such as medical readiness and prepared-ness for man-made and natural disasters, as well as to enhance regional security and stability.

“The exercise originated from the mul-tinational response to the 2004 tsunami in Banda Aceh,” LCDR Zilko said.

“Australia has participated in every iteration of this annual exercise, demon-strating our continuing commitment to building regional capacity in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and regional security.

“Australia’s participation in the exer-cise provides us with a vital opportunity to confirm that we remain ready to respond, with our allies, if and when our regional neighbours need our help.

“This Vietnam phase of the exercise also allows us to continue building strong, lasting and respectful relationships with the government and defence forces of Vietnam.”

Vietnam Border Guard vessels use smoke to simulate fire during an emergency response exercise on the Han River in Da Nang, Vietnam, during Exercise Pacific Partnership. Photos: SGT Ray Vance

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LEUT Sarah West

TWO nursing officers deployed to Vietnam for Exercise Pacific Partnership marked Mother’s Day in a particularly meaningful way – spending time with children with disabilities at an Agent Orange Rehabilitation Centre in Da Nang.

LCDR Alison Zilko and LEUT Angela French spent a day at the centre, which looks after children who have disabilities caused by the effects of dioxin, a com-pound of Agent Orange. The herbicide was used during the Vietnam War to defoliate large areas of jungle in order to deny the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese food and cover. More than 40 years after the war, dioxin is still found in soil used for growing crops throughout many rural areas of central Vietnam.

There are more than 1400 children in Da Nang with disabilities linked to dioxin contamination, and many of their families struggle to provide the care they need. Centres like the Agent Orange Rehabilitation Centre in Da Nang give the children a supportive place to learn, play and be cared for.

LCDR Zilko said the visit touched the hearts of all involved.

“Being a mother spending Mother’s Day away from my own children this year,

it made my heart swell to be able to put smiles on the faces of these young ones,” LCDR Zilko said.

“I was dancing around with them and being a bit of a goose, and the more I was a goose, the more fun they had – and that’s okay with me. Those smiles made it all totally worth it.

“You know, I can’t be with my own children back in Australia, but I can be with these beautiful children here. It was nice to be able to connect with them, and show them that we care.”

LEUT French, who is also a mother of two, said other Pacific Partnership visitors also rolled up their sleeves to do some-thing positive to help the centre.

“Together with volunteers from the US Navy and Army and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, we ploughed a weed-covered field so that the centre’s volunteer gardener can now plant vegetables to help feed the children,” LEUT French said.

“It was a small contribution, but I was so grateful for the opportunity to do some-thing to help.

“This visit has been very meaning-ful to me. I may have even gotten a little emotional at one point, but meeting these children and helping out in the yard was truly a wonderful Mother’s Day gift – one that I won’t ever forget.”

Helping children ‘a Mother’s Day gift’

Responders tested by emergency

LEFT: First responders from Vietnamese emergency services participate in an emergency response exercise in Da Nang.

BELOW LEFT: Nursing officer LEUT Angela French (rear) works with Vietnamese emergency services and personnel from the United States Navy to transfer a patient to an ambulance during the exercise.

BELOW: LEUT French discusses her assessment of a Vietnamese patient with medical trainees at the emergency reception of Da Nang General Hospital during the exercise.

Nursing officer LCDR Alison Zilko (second from right) and United States Navy Nurse LEUT Jasmine Avery (right) assess a Vietnamese patient at the emergency reception of Da Nang General Hospital.

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LEUT Geoff Long and LEUT Will Singer

IT TAKES an extraordinary logistical effort to fit out a long-range Anzac-class frigate to ensure it has the highest level of materiel support to enable high-end warfighting.

HMAS Toowoomba is undergoing sea trials fol-lowing an anti-ship missile defence upgrade which stripped her of all her inventory.

With a crew of 177 and an embarked Seahawk, the ship had to be re-supplied with everything from hardware and machinery to beds and kitchen cutlery, utilising the latest inventory management systems.

XO LCDR Hamish Frazer said the six-month process of replacing the ship’s allowance had been one of the most challenging but beneficial exercises for the new crew.

“We have now validated the inventory for Toowoomba so we have a good understanding of what is required for frigates, and that should have a major benefit for Defence in future,” LCDR Frazer said.

Keeping the Navy fully equipped, resourced and operating at the highest level of readiness requires attention to detail and financial management.

One person who knows this better than most in Toowoomba is CPOML-SC Daniel Byers, who has overseen the addition of more than 9000 items of stores to the ship.

“The biggest challenge was identifying what you need to run a ship, and we had to go through the hull space by space,” CPO Byers said.

“The process saw the team order in the equiva-lent of 400 pallets of stores.

“To picture it another way – 25 shipping con-tainers if the pallets are stacked two high,” he said.

The responsibilities of logistics range from the issuing of equipment through to general duties such as seamanship evolutions and force protection.

Toowoomba will now begin work-ups to com-plete her operational readiness.

SGT Dave Morley

A WWI medal found in a flow-erbed at a Korean War veteran’s house in Newcastle was present-ed to the Maitland and District Historical Society at Maitland War Memorial on May 5.

It was the beginning of a series of coincidences, according to port service manager at Garden Island Naval Base CMDR Ian Gray, son of Korean War veteran former SGT Colin Gray.

CMDR Gray said his grandson Leo Gray was playing in a flower-bed on September 11, during SGT Gray’s 90th birthday party, when he dug up the medal.

“The house has been the family home since 1969,” CMDR Gray said.

CMDR Gray said his brother, MAJ Malcolm Gray, of 7 Sig Regt,

Medal given a new home

did some investigating and discov-ered the medal belonged to 3232 PTE Patrick Leslie Gilligan, whose family lived in the Maitland area of NSW before and after WWI.

“Patrick was one of two broth-ers killed on the Western Front in

1917,” he said. “The medal must have come from a pile of soil Dad received as payment for rescu-ing people in the 1971 Maitland floods.

“The dirt was pulled from the Hunter River and we believe the medal must have washed away in the flood of 1971, or possibly the great flood of 1955, and ended up in the water.”

President of the Maitland and District Historical Society Keith Cockburn accepted the medal from two-year-old Leo (pictured) on behalf of the society.

CMDR Gray said his father, who passed away in ear ly November last year, served in 3RAR in Korea in 1951-52, firstly in C Coy and later as the pioneer sergeant.

“He was part of what was called K Force,” he said.

Last decoy deliveredTHE final Nulka missile decoy was deliv-ered to Navy by BAE Systems last month. Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne said it represented a significant achievement by a program which had also generated defence exports. The joint Australian/United States development program began from an original concept developed in Australia by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation in the early 1970s. “Nulka is a state-of-the-art autonomous hovering rocket decoy that uses sophisticated electronic signals to ‘seduce’ anti-ship missiles away from their targets”, Mr Pyne said. Full produc-tion under the current contract began in 1999. Final assembly of the decoys was completed at Defence’s Mulwala munitions factory in regional NSW.

Fundraising walk for MatesA FATHER whose son took his own life after suffering from PTSD will be par-ticipating in the Brisbane Marathon on August 6 to raise money and awareness for Mates4Mates. Peter Jenkins said the charity was close to his heart. “There are a lot of service men and women who are suffering as a result of their service to our country,” he said. “Some, like my son Shaun, develop severe PTSD as a result of their service and unfortunately take their own lives thinking that it is the only way to solve their problems as they see them. “Mates4Mates works tirelessly to help vet-erans, service men and women and needs all the funds that can be raised for them.” All donations are tax deductible. To make a donation, go to https://brisbanemara-thonfestival2017.gofundraise.com.au/page/PeterJenkins0

Canberra crew reunionA REUNION for the crew of HMAS Canberra Operation Damask 6 and partners will be held in Melbourne from October 20 - 22 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the ship’s deployment to the gulf. Reunion activities include diving on the wreck of ex-HMAS Canberra at Ocean Grove and a formal dinner at the Victorian Navy Week Ball at Melbourne Town Hall. For more information, or to be placed on the contact list, contact John ‘Schonners’ Schonberger on 0412 882 810, or at [email protected]

Role of families honouredMINISTER for Defence Personnel Dan Tehan honoured the important role played by families in support of ADF members. ADF members and their families cele-brated National Families Week at events across the country last month. Mr Tehan said the family events hosted by Defence Community Organisation were an opportu-nity to recognise the contribution of military families to the nation. “National Families Week highlights the important role families play in our society and in support of our defence force,” Mr Tehan said.

IN BRIEF

CPOML-SC Daniel Byers has overseen the addition of more than 9000 items to the ship.

Frigate kitted out for warfighting

HMAS Toowoomba steams full ahead during a recent exercise. Photo: LSIS James Whittle

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Dallas McMaugh

WORK-life balance and mental health issues were the focus of this year’s Fleet Air Arm (FAA) Safety Stand Down held last month.

It featured a diverse range of speakers with diverse backgrounds, from a sleep expert, to an Olympic swimmer, and a road crash trauma expert.

FAA Aviation Safety Officer LCDR William Veale said the theme – Human Performance and Health and Wellbeing – was chosen as a way to address some of the issues that arose from the Defence Aviation and Air Force Safety (DDAAFS) annual Snapshot safety survey.

He said work-life balance and mental health issues were identified in the survey as areas of concern.

“The FAA operates at a very high tempo, and it is really easy to get caught up in the process of working hard and lose sight of potential insidious safety implica-tions,” LCDR Veale said.

“The Safety Stand Down brings those issues back into our focus and allows us to regroup and do a sanity check on ourselves to ensure we are looking after each other.”

The speakers included former elite athlete Lisa Curry; Managing Director of Sleep Health at the Children’s Hospital Westmead Dr Carmel Harrington; peak perfor-mance coach and author of Bullies, Blamers, Bludgers, Blythe Rowe; Ryan Cooper and Sarah McMahon from Aviation Safety and Assurance Training; and Rod Campbell and

Address focuses minds on safety

‘‘ – HMAS Albatross Command Safety Adviser Anthony Kinnear describing the

impact of the address by the SA firefighters

To see 900 people deadly quiet, and some with tears in their eyes, is a testament to the raw power of the presentation.

Michael Holbrook of the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service.

HMAS Albatross Command Safety Adviser Anthony Kinnear said the audience was spoilt with the standard of speakers.

“Each one brought a message from a civilian perspective but each was very relevant to our business,” Mr Kinnear said.

“However, the SA firies worked particularly well and their ‘in-your- face’ presentation had everyone’s full attention, and should have left everyone with a greater respect for road safety, both as a vehicle opera-tor, passenger or pedestrian.

“To see 900 people deadly quiet, and some with tears in their eyes, is a testament to the raw power of the presentation.

“I doubt that there will be a sin-gle member of the audience who walked away from that presentation without reassessing their driving and roadside awareness habits.”

LCDR Veale said many attend-ees said it was the best safety day

they had attended, civil or military.“It does present us with a new

problem as some members said they were not sure how we can improve on the safety day . . . I guess that is our challenge for next year, to ensure it is as exciting and relevant to the audience.”

C O M FA A C D R E C h r i s Smallhorn agreed.

“Safety is of paramount impor-tance to not only our individual wellbeing, but also to the resilient and sustained provision of maritime warfare,” he said.

“FASO and his team produced a gold-standard event designed directly to address some of those issues that our personnel told us was important in our 2016 Safety Survey.

“No one would have left the room without some takeaway gems about our health, fitness, nutrition, how to be elite, and of course our daily safe choices – it’s about war-fare, and all these elements contrib-ute to the assured lethality of our Fleet.”

Michael Holbrook, of the SA Metropolitan Fire Service road safety program, captures the attention of the audience during his presentation.

Lisa Curry enlists the help of some audience volunteers during her presentation. Photos: Hayley Maxwell Photography

FLTLT Tom Maclean and CPL Mark Doran

AN ELECTRONICS technician won the champion Navy shot at the annual Australian Army Skill at Arms Meeting (AASAM) at Puckapunyal from May 5-26, where more than 200 top shoot-ers from almost 20 countries competed.

Units from across the ADF competed against each other last month, and the best were selected to take on personnel from the vis-iting nations.

POET Malcolm Day, of HMAS Kuttabul, who won the Navy award, said it was his sec-ond time competing at AASAM.

“I competed in 2015 and placed third,” he said.

“My plan this year was to do my best and ignore what every-one else was doing. I just con-centrated on each individual shot and if I made a bad one I just moved on.

“The goal was to qualify for my marksmanship badge, so it

was a bonus to win top shot. It was a good feeling and it was awesome to be carried on the AASAM chair.”

OIC of the Boatswain Faculty at HMAS Cerberus, LCDR Ashley Bexton, said Navy per-sonnel were required to be weap-on users for boarding parties, force protection, joint operations ashore (amphibious) and force protection.

“Marksmanship is a skill which takes repetition and prac-tice to ensure the firer is profi-cient and confident to use their weapon should the situation require,” LCDR Bexton said.

“It is a perishable skill when not used regularly and it’s through participation in events such as AASAM that personnel are able to maintain their skills.”

AASAM practices now have more moving and robotic targets to increase the focus on combat shooting, rather than just marks-manship on a traditional classifi-cation range, and the new prac-tices are all included in the cham-pion shot aggregate.

All competitors wear body armour and helmets – as are worn on operations – which adds an extra physical challenge and ensures the fittest participants stand out.

Participants have to react quickly to unexpected threats and learn to shoot in some challeng-ing situations, including small gaps and awkward positions.

POET Day said his prepara-tion for AASAM included a week of training at HMAS Cerberus.

“We spent time at the WTTS and did live firing at the range,” he said.

“I enjoyed the combat shoot-ing as it was new and a lot of fun.

“It would be good to see more Navy at the event next year.”

Cambodia competed this year for the first time and regional neighbours such as Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea returned.

Fiji sent observers with a view to sending a team to AASAM next year.

Stand-outs included partici-pants from the Republic of South Korea, Indonesia and Japan.


Shooter hits mark at comp

Special anniversarycalls for a new suitSGT Dave Morley

A 94-YEAR-OLD veteran of the Battle of the Coral Sea returned to Australia last month after commemorating the significant battle’s 75th anniversary on board a WWII aircraft carrier in New York Harbour.

PO Telegraphist Gordon Johnson (retd), of Canberra, joined the Navy in February 1940 and discharged in November 1949.

During the Battle of the Coral Sea he was posted to HMAS Hobart I and was at his action station in the main wireless office during the attacks by Japanese aircraft on May 7, 1942.

He said his job was to maintain and tune the Type 48 transmitter.

“We were one deck below the 4-inch guns, the Oerlikons and the four-barrelled Bofors, and then the close-in weapons, so the noise level was hor-rendous. It was like having your head inside a 44-gallon drum while someone hit it with a hammer,” he said.

“The CO, CAPT Harry Howden, drove the ship like a Formula 1 racing car to avoid the Japanese air attacks, so the whine of the turbines would just about deafen you.”

Mr Johnson said the battle was important for Australia because if the Japanese had not been intercepted in the Coral Sea there would have been no stopping them.

“If they had been successful in tak-ing eastern New Guinea, they’d have been difficult to stop with their 6000 well-trained and well-armed troops,” he said.

“It would have neutralised Darwin and other ports, and then the ques-tion was: Would they have invaded Australia? In any case, I think it was a near thing.”

Mr Johnson said he was notified about the 75th anniversary dinner about three months before it took place.

“I stewed on it for a few days before I made a decision, but my wife Fleur was keen to go so I had to go and buy a new dinner suit,” he said.

“Lucy Turnbull, Greg Norman and Gina Rinehart were among the dignitar-ies and they came and talked with us on the night, so it was a pretty good show.

“President Trump spoke well but he didn’t come and mix with us.

“CMDR Jayne Craig, from the embassy in Washington, and our medi-cal officer, CMDR Richard Loizou from Garden Island, really looked after us well. They’re a credit to the Navy.”

Mr Johnson said he was surprised there weren’t more US Coral Sea veter-ans at the dinner.

“The majority we met were survivors of the USS Yorktown,” he said.

The American Australian Association hosted the formal dinner on May 4, aboard the former USS Intrepid, one of 24 Essex-class aircraft-carriers built dur-ing WWII.

Gordon Johnson said his wife was keen to go to the commemoration in New York “so I had to go and buy a new dinner suit”. Photo: SGT Dave Morley

POET Malcolm Day is carried by fellow sailors to receive the champion Navy shot award, which was presented to him (inset) by BRIG David Westphalen, Commander of 4th Brigade.Photos: CPL Nunu Campos

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LCDR Peter Croce

ONE million push-ups during a seven-month deployment is the ambitious target driving the ADF communications and information systems personnel in the Middle East region (MER).

About 115 Theatre Comm-unications Group Four personnel – who deployed to the MER in support of Operations Accordion, Highroad, Manitou and Okra in February – are attempting to push their way to the finish line by the end of August.

CO WGCDR Michael Mammana said one of his squadron

commanders came up with the idea to increase fitness levels and build morale among the team.

“It started as a far-fetched idea but the team have really commit-ted to improving fitness, building strength and achieving goals out-side of their deployed ADF role,” WGCDR Mammana said.

“The benefits of improving health and fitness assist in reducing stress levels, building resilience and improving personal strength – all key attributes when you are on a lengthy deployment away from home.

“I am very proud of how the team is progressing, and if each person can do as little as 50 push-

ups per day, over the course of the deployment, we should reach our target of one million push-ups.”

WGCDR Mammana said the initiative had already attracted the attention of other deployed ele-ments, including Commander Joint Task Force 633 MAJGEN John Frewen, who was regularly provid-ing his tally to the overall total.

The communications person-nel provide support to more than 1700 personnel deployed across the MER.

Members from the Navy, Army and Air Force are spread across multiple operations and operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


CPOCIS Simon Bagnall gives a thumbs up while participating in the TCG One Million Push-up challenge at the main logistics base in the Middle East region. Photo: CPL David Cotton

Pushing it to the limit

Company formalises deal

Mentoring female engineersLEUT Kim Bird

NAVY has joined the nation’s leading defence industry partners to support women in the engineering and technical fields.

Navy is committed to a female rep-resentation rate of 25 per cent by 2023.

It has underlined the commitment by participating in ‘The Future Through Collaboration’ Women in Engineering Mentoring program, a Defence industry initiative which sponsors women work-ing in engineering and project management.

The program has been specifically designed to enhance capability, by sup-porting and developing women within Defence and Defence industry, and seeks to tackle the issue of gender diver-sity head on.

This year’s program was launched on May 4 at the Vibe Hotel in Canberra.

Head Navy Engineering RADM Colin Lawrence said programs like this were essential to building Navy capability.

“Both myself and Command Warrant Officer - Naval Engineering fully sup-port members participating in the pro-gram,” he said.

“This program is a great opportunity for Navy Engineering to support women in technical fields.

“We look forward to a time when women in senior Navy engineering and technical positions are mentoring as part of this innovative initiative,” RADM Lawrence said.

This year Navy participants include three female mentees, with a technical trade senior sailor for the first time, and three mentors (both men and women).

Participant LCDR Suzie Bishop said she was encouraged by Navy’s commit-ment to supporting women in engineering.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to participate in a formal mentoring pro-gram which aims to grow and enhance capability,” LCDR Bishop said.

“Being able to draw upon the expe-riences of somebody from outside of Navy provides me with a different perspective and challenges me to think differently.”

Head Navy Engineering RADM Colin Lawrence at the mentoring program launch. Photo: Jay Cronan

SERCO Australia has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the ADF in sup-port of Reservists across all of its Australian operations.

Head Reserve and Youth Division/Commander ADF Cadets RADM Bruce Kafer said the pur-pose of the MOU was to formalise the relationship between Serco and the ADF.

“Reservists bring valuable life skills back to their civilian work-places,” RADM Kafer said.

“Reservists are highly disci-plined team-players with a ‘can-do’

work ethic and the confidence to accept responsibilities. Adding the experience and expertise they gain from their Defence service also helps in their civilian environment to shape them as better employees.”

At the signing of the MOU in Canberra, Serco Asia Pacific CEO Mark Irwin said Serco had the utmost respect for the men and women of the ADF.

“We are committed to supporting them,” he said.

“We are proud to have served the ADF for more than 15 years and take our corporate responsibility very seriously.“

Head Reserve and Youth Division/Commander ADF Cadets RADM Bruce Kafer signs the MOU in Canberra. Photo: CPL Dan Pinhorn

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POET Jeremy Younger, of HMAS Success, is hoping the newest addi-tion to his household will make a difference for his young family.

PO Younger and his wife, Leigh, have four children, all of whom have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

While dealing with the daily challenges of autism, combined with consistent periods of time away from his family, PO Younger learnt that the Dogs for Kids with Disabilities (DKD) organisation might be able to assist his family.

DKD is a not-for-profit organi-sation based in Victoria, specialis-ing in assistance dogs for children with autism and other developmen-tal disorders.

It takes 18 months to raise and train an assistance dog before it is ready to be matched with its child, or children. It costs $25,000 to train each dog.

As DKD does not receive any government funding, the families rely on fundraising and the gen-erosity of others to help cover the costs.

The financial hurdle, along with a waiting list (and not all chil-dren are eligible for this program), makes applying for the program a big decision for any family.

PO Younger said that after much investigation and soul-searching they decided this would

be a massive benefit to the entire family, so they applied to DKD.

“We met with Katie Hunter, DKD’s founder, and were delight-ed with all the children’s responses to the dog,” PO Younger said.

“The day we got the letter say-ing we’d been accepted on the waiting list was so exciting for all of us.”

With the support of his Divisional System, PO Younger applied for a Navy Keeping Watch grant to assist with the funding.

Keeping Watch is the charity arm of the RAN Relief Trust Fund that provides assistance to Navy members and their families in financial need.

It is an important program that helps Navy provide for the comfort, welfare and recreation of serving members.

Keeping Watch has flexibility in the assistance it can provide.

Since its inception in 2014, 36 grants, totalling $103,150, have been disbursed.

Defence members with dependents with special needs can get support, information and assistance from the Defence Special Needs Support Group at http://dsnsg.org.au/

For further information on Keeping Watch, including how to make a tax deductible donation to support the work of the Navy’s charity, visit http://www.keepingwatch.org.au

T H E c u r r e n t Wo r k p l a c e Remuneration Arrangement (WRA) has delivered a pay increase of 6 per cent to ADF personnel from 2014-2017.

The WRA is due to expire on November 1 this year.

T h e C D F h a s c o m -menced engagement with the Government and Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal to advo-cate on behalf of ADF person-nel for a fair and contemporary remuneration package.

Over the coming months, information on how the process operates, details of the proposed WRA and dates and locations of WRA presentations will be pro-vided to ADF personnel through their chain of command and other Defence communication channels.

Head of People Capability Division within Defence People Group RADM Brett Wolski said all ADF members should attend presentations.

“I encourage all ADF mem-bers to familiarise themselves with the arrangement and its provisions and actively partici-pate in upcoming presentations,” RADM Wolski said.

For further information on the WRA process, contact: [email protected].

Planning for next pay deal

Tail of a new best friend

POET Jeremy Younger and his four children, from left, Imogen 14, Nathaniel 7, Aeryn 5, and Dominic 10, with assistance dog Annie. The family was given Annie for a trial period until a dog was able to be placed with them on a permanent basis.


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Sun sets on Sydney

FORMER HMAS Sydney IV left Sydney Harbour last month, under tow to Western Australia for recycling.

Minister for Defence Personnel Dan Tehan said the frigate would be recycled by Australian company Birdon Pty Ltd.

“Ex-HMAS Sydney IV had an illustri-ous career during her 32 years in service with the Navy,” Mr Tehan said.

“The Adelaide-class frigate was involved in operations spanning the Middle East, East Timor, Fiji and the Solomon Islands, and earned a Meritorious Unit Citation during the First Gulf War in 1991.

“She was built at the Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, Washington, USA, and commissioned there on January 29, 1983.

“Sydney IV was decommissioned from the Navy on November 7, 2015, to make way for the Hobart-class guided missile destroyers, which will provide Australia with an improved warfighting capability.”

Her journey from the Australian east coast to Henderson will take about 22 days.

Sydney IV under tow on her final voyage to Western Australia. Photo: LEUT Chris Boardman

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Look forward

The pre-Vietnam War days in the Navy were anything but quiet, as SGT Dave Morley reports.

A time of reconnaissance and rescues

Q-class frigate HMAS Quiberon was involved in several rescues during her service.

13FEATURESJune 1, 2017 www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS

AMATEUR naval histo-rians might suggest the early 1960s, before the Borneo confrontation

and the Vietnam War, was a quiet time for Australia’s Navy, but crew members in the Q-class fast anti-submarine frigates would disagree.

When the Panamanian-registered steamer Kawi sank after being caught in a storm in the China Sea on October 25, 1962, HMA Ships Quiberon and Queenborough were enroute from Singapore to Hong Kong.

They increased speed to 24

knots to search for survivors.Captain’s steward Bob Wade,

of Adelaide, said a lifeboat from Kawi, with 24 survivors, was found by Quiberon on October 27.

“We were heading to Hong Kong and had to divert because of Cyclone Jean, so we arranged to transfer the survivors to the mer-chant ship Benvorlich, which was heading to Singapore,” he said.

“We were involved in another rescue on December 17, 1962, when the SS Tuscany ran aground on a reef in the China Sea.

“The duty seamen from our boarding party walked across the

reef to collect the survivors and we got them into the ward room, gave them clean dry clothes, some food and relaxed them – they were able to walk, but they were pretty tired.”

Mr Wade said Quiberon and Queenborough were in Saigon, South Vietnam, on a flag-showing visit from January 31 to February 4, 1963.

“When we were coming into port, a South Vietnamese Navy gunboat, Ky-Hoa, came out to meet us, and accidently rammed us, tearing a nine-inch-by-one-foot hole in the bow, above the

waterline,” he said. “I felt a bump but didn’t take much notice. We patched the hole and later hobbled back to Singapore, where it was repaired properly.

“While we were in Saigon, a bloke from the embassy came out and warned us not to venture off the main roads and to be back aboard by 11pm.

“The real purpose of our visit was to research the water depths to see if larger ships could come into the port.”

The rescues of survivors from Kawi and Tuscany were not Quiberon’s first rescue at sea.

In company with sister ship HMS Quentin, she depth-charged and sank the Italian Adua-class submarine Dessie off the coast of Algeria in November 1942.

Five days later, on December 2, Quentin was torpedoed and sunk by a German Ju-88 aircraft off Tunisia with 20 Royal Navy sail-ors killed in action.

Quiberon, while under heavy air attack, rescued members of Quentin’s ship’s company.

The ship was commissioned on July 6, 1942, and paid off to Reserve in June 1964.

Anyone for tennis?SERVICE in Australian ships post-ed to the Far East Strategic Reserve in the early 1960s was an interesting time for those fortunate to be posted there.

The fast anti-submarine frigate HMAS Queenborough (pictured), or ‘Queen B’, as she was known to her ship’s company, was no exception.

Q u a r t e r d e c k l o c k e r m a n ORDSMN, later LEUT, Joe Kroeger (retd), of Canberra, remembers his ship’s visit to South Vietnam in January 1963, before Australian forces were committed there.

“Our first port of call was Nha Trang, a bay well to the north of Vung Tau and Saigon. It was home to a large Vietnamese Rangers unit,” he said.

“We had no sooner finished anchoring the ship before a request to provide a tennis team was received. I was just 18 and able to hold my own on a tennis court, so I was first cab off the rank.”

LEUT Kroeger said they were issued flak jackets and helmets as soon as they stepped ashore at the Nha Trang jetty.

“Then it was into the back of a covered truck, complete with escorts – jeeps with fully armed sol-diers – to the front and rear of our convoy, and away we went,” he said.

“We arrived at a stadium consist-ing of a single clay court with large stands and seating, all manned by South Vietnamese armed forces.

“The scenario was completed by a military brass band, who contin-ued to play during our hit-up and prep for the event.

“We were expecting an after-noon of social tennis and were faced with the best Vietnamese players available to compete in a Davis Cup format in front of a large Vietnamese audience.”

LEUT Kroeger said the next day was spent steaming south to Saigon to establish a navigational channel for large ships.

“The majority of our trip up the Mekong was an eye-opener. We steamed past rows and rows of what appeared to be largely derelict ves-sels but all, or most, appeared to be manned.”

Some months later, on May 8, 1963, while Queenborough was on anti-submarine exercises off Jervis Bay, the ship was involved in a minor collision with HM submarine Tabard. LEUT Kroeger said both

vessels were well aware of each other’s positions.

“For Tabard to come to peri-scope depth with Queenborough pounding along above – we must have sounded like a freight train to the crew of Tabard – is beyond belief,” he said.

AB Writer John Trafford, of Adelaide, served in Queenborough from August 1962 to July 1963, and recalled the collision.

“I was in the junior sailors sup-ply branch mess at the time and was looking through the port scut-tle when this bloody pommy sub ‘attacked’ us not 20 feet away as it came out of the water,” he said.

Queenborough paid off in July 1963, at Williamstown Dockyard, recommissioning in July 1966 and serving as a training ship, finally paying off in April 1972, after com-bined RN/RAN service just six months short of 30 years.

14 www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS June 1, 2017 CENTRE 15 Singapore Fleet Review

POIS Phil Cullinan

HMAS Ballarat joined warships from navies around the world last month for the Singaporean Navy’s 50th Anniversary International Fleet Review.

The fleet review is a long-stand-ing naval tradition where ships present for ceremonial inspection. The first fleet review recorded dates back to 1415 in Britain when Henry V reviewed his fleet before sailing to France.

The activity allows the host navy to reaffirm its loyalty and allegiance to its sovereign and the state. It origi-nated as an inspection of battle read-iness but today, the assembling of warships serves the function of naval diplomacy, strengthening the sense of solidarity shared by participating navies and seafarers.

President of Singapore Tony Tan

Keng Yam inspected the guard of honour before he boarded an open-top vehicle to review the docked warships.

On completion of the dockyard inspection, he then boarded littoral mission vessel RSS Independence for a review of the remaining warships.

Officers and sailors of Ballarat lined the upper decks in 'Procedure Alpha' as they conducted a ‘Cheer Ship’ as Reviewing Officer President Keng Yam sailed past.

The president said the gathering of navies was testament to the strong global friendships and networks that Singapore enjoys.

It's been a busy year for Ballarat.The frigate completed a range

of underway exercises with Royal Canadian Navy ships HMCS Ottawa and Winnipeg at the beginning of her South-East Asia deployment.

The exercises, conducted in inter-national waters from April 19-21,

included close-quarters manoeu-vring, practising RAS activities and anti-submarine warfare training with helicopters from both navies.

On completion of the exercises, she drew alongside Zhanjiang, China – the home of the People’s Liberation Army - Navy South Sea Fleet – for a port visit.

The frigate then completed a range of maritime exercises with Chinese frigate Huangshan.

During the passage exercise, the crew conducted surface target firing, a search-and-rescue exercise, and communication exercises.

Ballarat then played a key role in Exercise Bersama Shield off the coast of Malaysia from April 26 - May 9.

The frigate is continuing her South-East Asia deployment, visiting Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam, before returning to Australia for regional exercises.

SHOW OF SOLIDARITY

LSBM Michael Lauchlan taking part in the Singapore Navy's 50th anniversary.

The crew of HMAS Ballarat (above and main photograph) cheers ship as Singaporean warships RSS Independence and Sovereignty sail past during the Singaporean Navy’s 50th Anniversary International Fleet Review. Photos: LSIS Bradley Darvill

Crew members in HMAS Ballarat conduct "sunset" while at anchor during the fleet review.

LSET Cristy Hazelman, along with fellow crew members in HMAS Ballarat, line the upper decks in 'Procedure Alpha' as the ship awaits the sail-past by the reviewing officer during the fleet review.

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SMNAVN Elly Crowther takes a break after supporting 725SQN and 816SQN for flight deck landing qualifications with the MH60R Seahawk in HMAS Anzac. Photo: ABCSO(U) Tara Byrne

HMAS Launceston trainee Maritime Warfare Officer MIDN Tracey Magyar, with Sangeang Api in the background, an active volcano on the island of Sangeang in Indonesia. Photo: WO2 Chris Houghton

ABMT Dean Dietrich works on the gas turbine module in HMAS Arunta. Photo: ABIS Steven Thomson

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One human resource management and payroll system for One DefenceDefence OneDefence One, the new pay system for permanent ADF members, will bring the ADF and APS into a single system. This involves change in terminology, how ADF members apply for absences, allowances and deductions, and how applications are submitted, processed and approved.

Defence One will expand on existing Self Service functions available to ADF members, including changes to the ‘look and feel’ of some payroll and absence pages, changes to menus, functionality and terminology.

Electronic requests through Self Service will streamline Defence processes in line with the First Principles Review and save time and resources.

Self Service Absences – What’s changing?

» New absence terminology (Leave Management will be referred to as Absence Management and Government Funded Travel replaces Free Travel).

» Paper forms will no longer be required or accepted, where a member has access to Self Service.

» There will be four types of absence applications which will have a mandatory drop down box titled ‘Absence Reason’: Short absence from duty, leave without pay (LWOP), ADF Travel and Sick leave. In the case of ADF Sick leave, the drop down box will allow military members to select ‘Other not indicated’ as a reason, as sensitive medical information may be involved. Medical information is captured in the Defence Electronic Health System.

» The Return Date on an absence request is being changed to the End Date. The End Date will reflect the date of your last day of absence, rather than the date you will return to work.

» The look and feel when creating an absence request is different. The Start Date is to be populated first, then select an Absence Type and or Absence Name. Only then will the End Date field be able to be entered.

PMKeyS Self Service is Changing! » The Absence Name is a new field which is the equivalent of

the current Self Service Absence Type. The Absence Type will now group similar Absence Names for example all forms of LWOP will be grouped under the LWOP Absence Type.

» Address details on an absence request will need to be manually entered.

» Leave credits will be reduced in each fortnight that an absence occurs, rather than all at once at the commencement of the absence period. For an absence that spans several pay periods, the value of the leave taken will be deducted in each pay period, rather than only in the first pay period as is currently the case.

» Members on Part Time Leave Without Pay (PTLWOP) will be able to use Self Service to submit absence requests. Defence One will automatically calculate absence durations, salary and allowances based on the member’s approved PTLWOP/SERCAT6 arrangement.

» Shift workers will be able to override standard working days to correctly reflect the duration of an absence. Members need to self identify at Go Live that they are a shift worker to facilitate this outcome. A Defence One Shift Worker fact sheet is currently under development to provide members with more information.

Self Service Allowances & Deductions – What’s new?

» ESS > My Pay > My ADF Pay menu will be expanded to include the following new pages:

- ADF Allowance Request

- ADF Deduction Request

- ADF Modify Deduction

» Instructional text is dynamically displayed on both the Allowance Request and Deduction Request pages, based on the allowance and deduction type selected in the application.

» Approvals:

- Allowance requests will be sent electronically to MAJ(E) and above in your chain of command or the person in the chain of command of the selected Approver.

- Deductions do not require manager approval.

» The new payroll system is able to detect incompatible or potentially incompatible allowances, so if you have applied for an allowance via Self Service and it does not appear on your payslip, it may have been blocked due to an incompatibility during payroll processing. Contact your Orderly Room or Pay and Administration Centre (PAC) for assistance.

Self Service – General Reminders

» Members will continue to be able to update their bank account details, vary their MSBS contribution percentage and manage additional tax deductions in Self Service.

» Workflow reminders will be as per current functionality for un-actioned requests:

- An email reminder to the relevant approver within a member’s Chain of Command seven days after a member initiated request,

- A second email reminder to the approver and the approver’s manager (next in the Chain of Command) 14 days after submission, and

- New Workflow escalation functionality will escalate all un-actioned requests via email to the approver’s manager (next in the member’s Chain of Command) with a copy to the member 21 days after submission.

» Submitting or approving absence and allowance requests through Self Service is equivalent to submitting a document that you (the member) have signed. Members are accountable for the information they provide and submit via Self Service.

For Further information visit: Defence Home > Groups > CIOG > For CIOG Staff > CIOG Initiatives > Defence One

DPS:APR028-17

19TRAININGJune 1, 2017 www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS

LEUT Will Singer

NAVY has contributed to the pro-tection and safety of the Western Australian community by hosting firefighters from Welshpool Fire and Rescue.

The firefighters conducted spe-cialised training at the School of Survivability and Ship Safety Training Facility-West in HMAS Stirling.

The facility enabled the urban search-and-rescue team to conduct compartment fire training in a ship-board firefighting environment.

Training Facility Manager WOMT Mark Karslake said the assets at the facility presented opportunities to assist local emergency services with maritime firefighting and general training.

“We also assist our local volunteer fire and rescue services when they have the opportunity,” WO Karslake said.

“Emergency Services have a simulator, although it isn’t set out as a dedicated marine environment like ours.

“We have a couple of other bri-gades planning visits in the near future.”

The team used the ship training model to rehearse entry, fire-suppres-sion and command/control procedures.

Station officer Jamie Anderson said the purpose-built facility gave his team an opportunity to experience a differ-ent environment than that provided by the Department of Fire and Emergency

Services at their training academy.“This is the first time Welshpool

fire station has conducted this training at Stirling,” Mr Anderson said.

“Of interest to some of the team

members among the crew was a dem-onstration of the thermal lance cutting tool.

“The firefighters enjoyed the train-ing facilities, which provide a realistic

training environment to refresh and hone their skills in ship-board fire-fighting and compartment firefighting.

“WO Karslake and his team were very accommodating and willing to

assist our team in meeting our training outcomes.

“His team provided a professional training environment, which was appreciated by our team,” he said.

Firies’ skills honed in westFirefighters from the Welshpool fire station conduct a door entry in the fire simulation unit during training at the School of Survivability and Ship Safety at HMAS Stirling. Photo: ABIS James McDougall

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21TRAININGJune 1, 2017 www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS

LCDR Stephen Blume

MAY 2 was a red-letter day at HMAS Watson, with half of the first married couple to gradu-ate from the same Principal Warfare Officers’ (PWO) Course also being awarded overall dux.

LEUT Sarah Rhys-Jones, a surface warfare graduate, was awarded overall dux of PWO Course 53, receiving the coveted Sydney-Emden Prize.

In an exceptional day for LEUT Rhys-Jones, she was also awarded the Naval Warfare Officers’ Certificate for achieving the highest marks in theory and the CEA Prize for dux of the systems technology phase of the course.

She graduated alongside her husband LEUT Michael Rhys-Jones, a navigation specialist.

At the graduation din-ner that evening LEUT Michael Rhys-Jones spoke of the strong bond that had developed between the can-didates over the life of the course and how it would endure as they returned to the Fleet.

“The class of PWO 53 will look back at their time on course as one that tested and pushed them to new limits, but through perseverance and teamwork they accomplished what only 549 Australian officers had done before.”

After 12 months of intense instruction, fol-lowed by rigorous theoretical and practical assessments, the 29 newly badged PWOs are ready for the challenges that lie ahead.

The Navy’s premier warfare course is sepa-rated into three phases. Students undertake basic warfare theory and practical exercises before separating into individual specialisations to gain a deeper level of warfare expertise in their indi-vidual disciplines.

The final phase of the training focuses on maritime task group and joint warfare, culminat-ing in one of the largest simulated exercises that the Navy conducts, drawing upon expertise from across all three services.

OIC School of Maritime Warfare LCDR Mile Madarac said course 53, the largest to gradu-

ate, would be a welcome addition to the Fleet.

“Eight air warfare, 14 surface warfare, five navigation warfare, one mine warfare and one communications infor-mation warfare special-ists graduated, all of whom will have a lasting impact on the Fleet and will be instrumental in Navy realising the Navy Warfighting Strategy and Plan Mercator,” LCDR Mile Madarac said

C O M A U S F L T RADM Stuart Mayer acknowledged the

contribution family and friends had made over the length of the course and the sacrific-es endured to support partners and friends in achieving their goals.

The graduates will now proceed onto combat system courses before posting to HMA Ships and shore establishments across the country to consolidate training.

Dux of the course LEUT Sarah Rhys-Jones is presented with the Sydney-Emden Prize by COMAUSFLT RADM Stuart Mayer.

Grad’s day to remember

‘‘– LEUT Michael Rhys-Jones

The class of PWO 53 will look back at their time on course as one that tested and pushed them to new limits.

22 TRAINING www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS June 1, 2017

Natalie Staples

THE first electronic warfare course combining submarine and surface fleet trainees graduated from HMAS Watson on May 5.

Twelve sailors completed the 17-week course, which teaches the basics of collecting electronic intel-ligence across the electromagnet spec-trum.

Chief Instructor in Electronic Warfare at the School of Maritime Warfare CPOEW Justin Downey-Price said the combined course delivered a base level of integration between the two branches.

“There used to be no real interac-tion between the electronic warfare submariners and electronic warfare surface sailors,” he said.

“The submariners were taught in the west and surface sailors in the east. Now the Navy can generate greater collective efforts in the field.

“The basic course is the same, so by combining the two we gain bene-fits, not only in resourcing, but we find the students get consistency with their training,” CPO Downey-Price said.

“If at a later date the students want to pursue a career in the other aspects of electronic warfare, they will also find it easier to transition.”

SMNEW Shannon Stevens, one of the surface trainees, said she learned a lot on course.

“It was really interesting and challenging at the same time,” SMN Stevens said.

“Naturally the surface and subma-rine electronic warfare trainees go on to work on different platforms, so I wouldn’t have had the chance to meet half the people on course if it wasn’t combined.

“One day I hope to serve on a destroyer but straight out of training I expect I’ll be posted to an Adelaide-class frigate.”

MANAGEMENT of the Beecroft Weapons Range has been trans-ferred from Navy Fleet Command to the Directorate of Operations and Training Area Management ( D O TA M ) i n E s t a t e a n d Infrastructure Group.

The transfer, formalised in April, is in line with the findings from the 2009 Defence Strategic Training Areas and Ranges Review which rec-ommended the management of all ranges and training areas be effected through a single group, in order to align with other estate management principles as they relate to capability support.

To mark the occasion, a handover ceremony from Navy, represented by CO HMAS Creswell CAPT Charles Huxtable to the Director of DOTAM COL David Graham, was held in the range control and visitors centre at the Beecroft range.

CAPT Huxtable said the man-agement overheads of operating an “orphan” range were now removed from Navy but that Beecroft would continue to support operational capability.

“The principal function of Beecroft is to facilitate Naval gunfire support firings for fleet units oper-ating in the East Australia Exercise

Range handover meets target

CO HMAS Creswell CAPT Charles Huxtable removes the Beecroft Weapons Range patch from range manager POB Scott Smith during the transfer of command ceremony at the Beecroft Weapons Range visitor centre. Photo: LSIS Justin Brown

Course a collective effort

SMNEW Shannon Stevens receives her electronic warfare certificate from CO HMAS Watson CAPT Craig Powell. Photo: ABIS Bonny Gassner

Area,” he said. “The transfer of Beecroft to DOTAM is a positive step in achieving a sustainable man-agement outcome which will enable Beecroft to deliver Navy and the wider ADF capability more efficient-ly and effectively.”

COL Graham said DOTAM man-agement of Beecroft would deliver effective and efficient range opera-tion by an organisation within Defence with the sole purpose of managing training areas and ranges to support Defence capability needs.

The change of management marks an important milestone in the history of Beecroft. Although a detailed history has not been docu-

mented, Beecroft was established as a bombardment range in 1898 to sup-port fleet units of the Royal Navy Australian Station.

“As Navy redevelops its amphibi-ous capability and confirms its amphibious readiness, Beecroft will again become a crucial element in the amphibious training continuum,” CAPT Huxtable said.

“Beecroft’s history is a proud one and its future as an effective train-ing area and weapons range for Navy and across Defence remains as important today as it was in 1898, and further validates Beecroft’s motto, ‘Aim True’.”

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23PERSONNELJune 1, 2017 www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS

OS allowances reviewed Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): calcu-

lation will be based on spendable (rather than disposable) salary and the member’s unaccompanied or accompanied (without children) status, using an independent pro-vider’s methodology.

Cost of Posting Allowance (COPA): set at 18 per cent of actual gross salary for unaccompanied members, and 28 per cent for accompanied members. The minimum amount payable is based on the base salary of a LCDR(E) and the maximum amount payable is capped at the top of the CAPT(E) salary, with no additional pay-ments to members above that threshold.

Location Allowance: All agencies will adopt common post categories as determined by an independent provider and, using that independent provider’s methodology, adopt a common Location Allowance for category C to F posts.

Child Supplement Allowance: to be set at pre-determined percentages of Defence’s average annual overseas salary and adjusted by the applicable Post Index in locations where it is above 100. The percentages are 6.5% for children under three; 5% for children aged from three to under 12; and 6% for children aged 12 and over.

Removal of Child Reunion Allowance, not-ing reunion travel has been retained.

Removal of allowances which are no long-er considered in alignment with community standards, such as financial counselling assistance, assistance with cable/satellite television or internet subscriptions, house-hold help and loss of sale of a vehicle.

KEY CHANGES Derek Cox

FOLLOWING a whole-of-government review of entitlements, additional allow-ances and financial support provided to Australian government employees stationed overseas, the government has decided to standardise key components of overseas allowances for staff from all agencies.

The review’s terms of reference direct-ed it report on current entitlements and allowances, the appropriateness of these allowances, and make recommendations for allowances to be made more consistent. Other considerations of the review includ-ed ensuring entitlements were in keeping with community expectations; personnel are not financially worse off as the result of working or serving overseas; and the impact that a posting can have on a family is taken into account.

The review excluded Defence person-nel deployed on military operations. It covered both ADF members and APS employees posted or employed overseas.

These changes will not affect ADF personnel or APS employees who are cur-rently on an overseas posting, or those who have received notice of a posting before July 1, when the changes will take effect.

These personnel will remain on the cur-rent overseas conditions package until the end of their posting, or until July 1, 2020, if their posting period passes that date.

For more information, visit the Whole-of-Government Review of Overseas Conditions of Service web page, or email [email protected].

Key components of allowances for government personnel stationed overseas will be standardised following a recent review. The changes do not affect operational deployments.

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24 PERSONNEL www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS June 1, 2017

Emily Carnevale and Ashleigh Macpherson

ADF members leaving the military will receive individual career coach-ing and an improved experience as Defence implements changes to its transition services.

Announcing the changes last month, Defence Personnel Minister Dan Tehan said ADF members would be offered tailored career coaching services during their transition, and up to 12 months afterwards, to further support ADF members and their families moving to civilian life.

ADF members will also have all appropriate documentation available by the time they leave Defence.

Head of People Capability RADM Brett Wolski said improvements to the transition process would deliver a con-sistent and efficient experience to tran-sitioning ADF members no matter their location.

“ADF members will receive a per-sonalised transition plan and all docu-mentation including their medical, train-ing and service records,” RADM Wolski said.

“ADF members are skilled and have

a strong work ethic that employers will find valuable to their business.”

All Defence transition officers are completing Certificate IV in career development to professionally coach and mentor ADF members. Defence transi-tion centres in Townsville, Holsworthy and Adelaide have been the first to offer career coaching services, with all transi-tion centres to follow throughout 2017.

“Offering career coaching means Defence can deliver a personalised ser-vice to ADF members and help them plan and prepare to find meaning-ful employment outside of the ADF,” RADM Wolski said.

Adelaide transition manager Phil Cock said it was rewarding to provide ADF members advice and resources to create their own career options.

“We get to work with members to uncover what their career goals are and what they need to do to reach them. That could be through training, employment services, or job search skills offered through the Career Transition Assistance Scheme,” he said.

More information, including a list of ADF Transition Centres, is available at defence.gov.au/dco/transition.

Improving transitionTailored coaching on offer

The improved services will be available to personnel for 12 months after they transition.

‘‘– CMDR Rob Smilie,

Director Navy Personnel Information Systems Management

This will provide the same level of service to permanent personnel that has previously only been available to the APS and Reserves.

One human resource management and payroll system for One DefenceDefence OneDefence One, the new pay system for Defence that will bring APS, Reserves and full time ADF members onto the same HR & payroll system, is coming 7th August 2017.

This will allow both the eligibility for and rates of many allowances to be automated based on your information in PMKeyS.

This combined with a later pay cut off day, means your allowances will be processed and paid to YOU sooner.

Proficiencies

When a member holding a matching proficiency occupies a position which has a related position proficiency, it will automatically trigger the payment of the relevant allowance (e.g. Special Forces Disability Allowance).

Proficiencies will be used in conjunction with Operation, Activity, and Position Data to assess and determine eligibility of allowances.

Currently, Operation and Activity transactions are separately processed in ADFPAY by a Personnel Administration Centre (PAC) operator, who undertakes validation/verification of the transaction.

With the implementation of Defence One, increased automation will result in these transactions having a direct impact on payroll processing and allowing YOU, the member, to receive the payments earlier!

NAVY Example: If you are a member who has a Qualified Clearance Diver proficiency P117687 and are in a qualified Clearance Diver Position P117687, you will receive the

Your pay is soon to be automated!payment of Clearance Diving Allowance. It will continue to be paid when on Operation or Activity.

ARMY Example: If you have a Jump Instructor proficiency (PTS) P122579 and your position has P122578 attached, you will recieve payment of Paratrooper allowance.

RAAF Example: If you have a Flying Disability proficiency P117684 and your position has been flagged as a flying or flying related duties position, you will receive payment of Flying Disability allowance Annual.

You can always refer to the Defence One Website for a full list of the allowances triggered by Proficiencies.

No more SmartForms and You get the payment sooner!

Categorisation

Your categorisation in PMKeyS determines your eligibility for and the rate at which certain benefits are paid.

Changes to categorisation details are still subject to approval, but the single source of truth will be Defence One from Go Live.

There will also be an interface that links Defence One directly to Defence Housing Australia’s (DHA) systems. This will generate housing type allowances, advances and deductions.

Payment rates will now be automated by Defence One based on your categorisation. Different amounts are payable depending on whether or not you have dependants and if you are accompanied or unaccompanied. Some of these are listed:

» District Allowance payment rates

» Payments for Housing type allowances

» Housing Advances and deductions

This automation, combined with a later pay cut off day, means your allowances and deductions will be processed sooner.

What can YOU do to get Ready? Please log in to PMKeyS Self Service and ensure the following details are correct:

» Rank (PSS > My ADF Pay)

» Contact details (PSS > Personal Data)

» Emergency contact details and next of kin (PSS >Emergency Contacts)

» Dependant details (PSS > Dependent/Beneficiary)

» Categorisation (PSS > My ADF Pay)

» Position details including location (PSS > My PersonalInformation)

» Allowances (PSS > My ADF Pay)

» Leave data – including absence entitlement, outstandingabsence applications and denied absence applications(PSS > My Leave)

Remember: It is important that you keep your personal details up to date to ensure accurate and timely payment.

For Further information visit: Defence Home > Groups > CIOG > For CIOG Staff > CIOG Initiatives > Defence One

DPS:APR028-17

25PERSONNELJune 1, 2017 www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS

Faster pay is on the wayTammy Meacham

UNDER the new Defence One pay system, all full-time personnel, APS members and Reservists will be on the same HR and payroll system.

The integration of HR and payroll data is a key element of the new system, and many allowances (both eli-gibility and payment rates) will be automat-ed based on informa-tion from PMKeyS and inbound interface data from external parties.

D i r e c t o r N a v y Personnel Information Systems Management CMDR Rob Smilie said the benefit of integrat-ing the pay system and PMKeyS would be the faster processing of pay-ments.

“This will provide the same level of service to permanent personnel that has previously only been available to the APS and Reserves,” he said.

Together with the expansion of Self Service, it will allow absenc-es, allowances and deductions to be processed sooner.

He said to support this, new proficiencies have been created for a range of allowances which are recorded against both positions and members as accomplishments.

When a member holding a matching profi-ciency occupies a position which has a related position proficiency, it will automatically trig-ger the payment of the relevant allowance (e.g. Maritime Disability Allowance).

The Defence One Website has a full list of the allowances triggered by proficiencies.

Categorisation determines eligibility for and the rate at which cer-tain benefits are paid. Changes to categorisation details will still be sub-ject to approval, but the single source of truth will be Defence One from “go live”.

There will also be an interface that links Defence One directly to Defence Housing Australia’s sys-tems. This will generate housing type allowances, advances and deductions.

Combined with a later pay cut-off date that will happen with Defence One, as long as everyone keeps their details up to date, and PMKeyS is updated accu-rately and in a timely man-ner, this automation will

mean pay and accruals are more accurate, and credited sooner.

There are many ways that payments and accruals in the system are being automated, and these will be discussed in upcoming arti-cles in the lead-up to go live.

See the advertisement below for more information.

As an example under the new automated allowances, a member who has a Qualified Clearance Diver proficiency P117687 and is in a qualified Clearance Diver Position P117687 will receive the payment of Clearance Diving Allowance. The allowance would continue to be paid when on operation or activity. Photo: ABIS Bonny Gassner

The Defence Honours and Awards Appeals Tribunal (the Tribunal) has been directed to inquire into and report on unit recognition for the Royal Australian Navy Helicopter Flight Vietnam (the RANHFV).

In particular, the Tribunal is to examine relevant evidence and consider whether it is appropriate that the RANHFV be awarded an Australian unit decoration or another form of recognition for its service in South Vietnam from October 1967 to June 1971.

Interested persons and groups are invited to make submissions to this Inquiry. Full terms of reference, and guidance on making a submission, is available on the Tribunal’s website at www.defence-honours-tribunal.gov.au.

Submissions are requested by 16 June 2017.DPSMAY014/17

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26 HEALTH www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS June 1, 2017

FITNESS trends, by definition, come and go but many fads, even if they are temporary, have genu-ine health benefits.

Video games, for instance, have been blamed for many overweight people but now the gamers are getting fit. As tech-nology incorporates itself into our lives, the trend is to use video games to boost fitness levels.

Dancing, fighting or body-movement games are all helping people keep in shape through the use of technology.

PTI CPL William Cottle, of RMC-D, said fitness should be a part of ADF members’ everyday lives. “If it’s not, your body will suffer.”

This may mean embracing fitness trends such as pole dancing, which might have a stigma attached to it but is still growing in popularity.

“Pole dancing is a fantastic way for men and women to stay in shape and increase their core strength by using functional movement and their own body weight,” CPL Cottle said.

Skateboarding pilates, in which a skateboard is used to add an extra chal-lenge to moves, is another growing trend.

While the pilates-inspired activi-ties are a full-body workout, they also improve flexibility and balance.

CPL Cottle said he was a fan of CrossFit workouts, which incorporate elements from high-intensity interval training with Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics and other exercises.

He said to beware of trainers in trend-ing activities such as CrossFit who did not have the right knowledge.

“The CrossFit Level 1 trainer course only takes two days but if someone doesn’t have the right experience I don’t believe they can be a qualified instruc-tor,” he said. “Unskilled coaches teach-ing people lifting techniques they have only seen on YouTube is very risky.”

CPL Cottle said CrossFit was benefi-cial for ADF members because it com-bined strength, speed, coordination and endurance with gymnastics skills.

“We should be able to adapt any physical activity, whether it’s a run, pack march or a lifting task,” he said.

“CrossFit is a vigorous workout, but the goal is to be functionally fit and push every aspect of the body to the maximum level.”

Some fitness fads might be fleeting but their health benefits can be lasting, CPL Mark Doran writes.

Skateboard pilates is a growing fitness trend that provides a full-body workout while improving fitness and balance.Photo: CPL Mark Doran

Work it while it lasts

27SPORTJune 1, 2017 www.defence.gov.au/news/NAVYNEWS

CPL Mark Doran

NAVY members of the ADF team set fast times during the Ironman Australia Triathlon at Port Macquarie on May 7.

Of the 17 ADF Triathlon Club athletes who tested their mental and physical endurance in the tri-athlon, nine competed in the full-distance ironman, consisting of a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run, and eight competed in the half-ironman.

LCDR Nigel Rowan, of the Australian Defence College, has been competing in triathlons for 18 months and finished 29th in his division of the half-ironman with a time of 5hr 9min.

While the goal for some of the triathletes was to qualify for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, most aimed to sim-

ply finish the race unscathed.The Port Macquarie bike

course is known as one of the toughest in Australia and takes in some amazing NSW coastal scenery.

LCDR Rowan said he was happy with his time, which was 20 minutes faster than last year’s.

“I don’t get a lot of spare time during the staff course and can’t do the training required to get a good time in a full ironman,” he said.

“At the moment I’m only doing about 10 hours a week of training, with up to an hour-and-a-half of swimming, five hours on the bike and three hours of run-ning. I love the sport because we get to challenge ourselves every race.”

He said he hoped to break the five-hour mark next year.

ABMED Imogen Clements, of HMAS Yarra, also put in a strong effort in her first half-ironman. She finished ninth in her division in a time of 6:41.

AB Clements said the open-water 1.9km swim was her strongest leg.

“The 90km bike leg was my weakest but I was happy with my run,” she said.

“It started to get hot as the day went on but the support from the crowd was awesome. My aim was just to finish so I was happy with my achievement. I love the men-tal challenge of the sport.”

She competed in two full marathons previously and found the run mentally easier “because I knew I only had to run half the distance”.

“Next year I’ll be back and I’ll do the full ironman,” she said.

A winner if you’re still grinning

LEUT Kirsti Burtenshaw

THE ADF Rugby Union (ADFRU) wom-en’s team finished one better than last year’s sixth place when it took on Australia’s best at the Australian Rugby Union National Championships on the Gold Coast from May 12-14.

Including players from the three services, the team ended its campaign by lifting the Plate after beating NSW Country, 10-7, in a tense and aggressive match.

Head coach WO2 Aaron Callister was pleased with the way the team responded to the occasion.

“The game the previous day against South Australia, which we won convincingly 24-0, gave the team the confidence required going into the Plate final on Sunday,” he said.

“It was typified by strong defence from both teams with neither being able to estab-

lish dominance in the first half. The scores were locked at 7-all at full-time and I knew we had to raise the intensity of the game if we were going to come away with the win.

“The team rose to the challenge with the game in extra time, applying pressure in the attack.”

LSMT Bri t tany Abel , of HMAS Canberra, said all the players were “dead on their feet” in the dying minutes.

“But we lifted and found reserves we didn’t know we had,” she said.

“We pushed so hard on NSW Country that eventually we forced an error from them and CPL Nikki Hall, from 35m out, kicked that crucial penalty for us that sealed the deal.”

LSMT Abel said ADFRU women’s rugby was going from strength to strength.

“It is so great to be part of the organisa-tion during this period,” she said.

Mettle leads to silverware

LSPT Amy Carpenter, right, joins Army’s CAPT Alisha Hewett, second left, and CPL Lucy Lockhart in accepting the Plate from Buildcorp’s Tony Sukkar.

The ADFRU team, left, was too strong in the scrum for NSW Country. Photos: Joel Honig

LCDR Nigel Rowan in the run leg of the half-ironman. Photo: Tamara Jones

© Image courtesy of Department of Defence

Assisting serving and ex-servingADF members and their familiesin times of injury, illnessand crisis.

rsldefencecare.org.au

Volume 60, No. 9, June 1, 2017

SPORT

FIELDING a women’s Aussie rules team for the first time this year is already paying off for HMAS Cerberus.

The newly formed Cerberus/Crib Point Football Club (CCP) won its second game in a row on May 13.

HMAS Cerberus Football Club combined with the local Crib Point Football Club to create the CCP women’s team to compete in the 2017 Southern East Development Competition.

Comprising women from Navy, Air Force, Army and civilian players, they have only been playing together since February.

They followed up their victory in their season debut – when they beat the Frankston Dolphins by 156 points – with a 20-point win in their first home game at HMAS Cerberus against the Seaford Tigerettes.

CCP were expecting a close encounter in their second home game at Crib Point football ground on Saturday, May 27, against Officer, a team from the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Female personnel who are interested in playing for the team are encouraged to attend training on Wednesday afternoons at the Cerberus football ground.

FLYING START

Player-coach LSET Ci-Anna Smith, of the Cerberus/Crib Point Football Club, gets the ball away as SMNMT Naomi Singleton backs up during their side’s home-game victory over the Seaford Tigerettes.Photo: LSIS Nina Fogliani

Women win two from two

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