|
Team
greens Umm Qasr
Dedication and professionalism unrivalled
 |
| LCDR
Michael Maley on scene commander in the clearance of mines from
the port of Umm Qasr. |
By
LCDR Michael Maley
“Sir you have to be ready to board a plane in one hour.”
I rolled over and looked at my watch. 0400. A ten-hour flight, a quick
stopover in Spain, another seven hours in a massive C5 cargo transport
aircraft and I arrived in Bahrain. For the next few months I would
be the Deputy Underwater Mine Countermeasures Commander for Operation
Iraqi Freedom.
The unit was a coalition force comprising 130 RAN and RN Clearance
Divers, American SEALS and Marines, EOD technicians, eight Marine
Mammal Systems (dolphins trained by the USN) and high tech unmanned
vehicles.
During the build up stage our personnel were spread throughout the
theatre in US Navy MCM Vessels, in an amphibious platform (USS Gunston
Hall) and in Kuwait. Pre-positioning of forces began as war became
imminent and it became increasingly aparent that Iraq was intending
to conduct mining operations. US and UK forces remained at sea and
RAN AUSCDTTHREE deployed into the Kuwaiti desert.
The day war broke out we were flown to a meeting to plan operations
in support of an amphibious landing. During the meeting a car bomb
exploded nearby and rockets were launched in our general direction.
We were also introduced to the first of many gas drills.
That night 14 unit personnel were involved in operations on the Al
Faw peninsula. The planning process had been thorough, but watching
the helicopter take off was a sobering moment.
Twelve men died that night in a UK helicopter crash. Four Iraqi’s
were killed in action but all of our SEALS, Marines and UK divers
were extracted safely three days later. While this was going on MCM
operations began with the dispatch of teams to check vessels for booby
traps and look for mines. In the first two days of the war nearly
200 mines were intercepted. The methods the Iraqis had developed to
hide and lay mines were ingenious.
Over the next 72 hours the unit deployed 100 personnel, four dolphins
and over 100 tonnes of equipment into the port of Umm Qasr and commenced
MCM operations. It then linked up with AUSCDTTHREE for the first time
since leaving Bahrain three weeks earlier.
The clearance of a berth is normally a very straightforward task.
However, the concurrent activities of completing the massive equipment
deployment, establishing force protection posts and setting up headquarters
made it far more challenging.
That RFA Sir Galahad was able to berth within 72 hours of task unit
personnel setting foot in Umm Qasr was a credit to the coalition MCM
forces. Fourteen days later the coalition forces had cleared more
than 2.5 million square metres of water, intercepted another 40 mines
and participated in the distribution of humanitarian aid.
I had the honour of declaring the port of Umm Qasr “Green”,
an achievement that was due to the hard work and dedication of RAN
AUSCDTTHREE, UK and US MCM forces. The unit then moved up river to
the port of Az Zubayr and began clearance operations. The water conditions
were definitely not conducive to good MCM operations but the use of
dolphins, divers and side scan sonar saw the port cleared in less
than 10 days. Again this was a huge credit to the MCM community as
a whole. AUSCDTTHREE volunteered for EOD operations on the Al Faw
Peninsula. These operations continue.
AUSCDT THREE received a great deal of praise and admiration for their
outstanding professionalism and dedication. Their preparedness and
enthusiasm was unrivalled anywhere in theatre. |
