Crikey a byword for friendship
“In my 29 years in the Navy, Milius is one of the most impressive and remarkable ships I have served in,”...CAPT Peter Jones

The CO of USS Milius CMDR Jeff Harley (left) presents CAPT Peter Jones with his crikey plaque.

By LEUT Emily Curtis & Graham Davis
Crikey! What is the CTG up to?

Before leaving for Australia CAPT Peter Jones, the former Commander Task Group (CTG) 633.1, said farewell to USS Milius by putting on an Aussie barbecue for the 280 crew of the Arleigh Burke destroyer that had been home to the members of the CTG’s staff for the past two months.

CAPT Jones’ staff comprised six officers, five senior sailors and four junior sailors, two of whom are seaman who had never been to sea before.

The CTG and his staff had a very demanding job in commanding the Maritime Interception Operation. He was responsible for directing and controlling around six warships in the ongoing effort to enforce United Nations sanctions against Iraq, including HMA Ships Anzac, Kanimbla and Darwin.

“It’s a big job and being a small team it is very intense ensuring that we control and direct ships’ boats, helicopters and boarding teams so that they are in the right place at the right time and in the most efficient manner,” CAPT Jones said.

CTG 633.1 achieved a first when he left Milius in port - a rare opportunity for a couple of days ashore. This was the first time he and his staff had sailed into a port for a visit since he arrived in the Middle East Area of Operations on October 30 last year. Before this the staff had only been able to fly ashore for a couple of days’ rest on a rotational basis. These proved to be rare opportunities.

Out of 120 days the staff spent around 110 days at sea because of the demands of the job. If their command platform departed the area the team was required to pack up in short order, effect a cross-deck with another ship and set up again – all in a matter of two or three hours.

As well as USS Milius the CTG staff spent time in USS Valley Forge (Ticonderoga cruiser), USS Fletcher (Spruance destroyer) and USS Paul Hamilton (Arleigh Burke destroyer), so that they were able to communicate with all the coalition units participating in the blockade.

CAPT Jones and the CO of Milius, CMDR Jeff Harley exchanged gifts in the traditional manner. CMDR Harley presented CAPT Jones with a plaque with the word “crikey” inscribed on it – a running joke between the two as the US ship’s company expected the Australians to say “crikey!” all the time.

“In my 29 years in the Navy, Milius is one of the most impressive and remarkable ships I have served in,” CAPT Jones said.

CMDR Harley said, “To the Australians, thank you from a grateful country, thank you from a grateful navy, and thank you from a grateful ship.”

Milius pulled in to port with the Australian National Flag flying from her yard arm and the CTG disembarked to sail back to the Northern Persian Gulf in HMAS Kanimbla. His staff took with them from Milius many new friendships and great memories.

CAPT Jones subsequently related some of his experiences after he returned to Australia.

Three Iraqi Navy Warrant Officers jumped overboard from their patrol boat because they did not want to become involved in the vessel’s mission - to attack Coalition ships in The Gulf.

The trio drifted with the tide before being rescued by the US Coastguard cutter Adak and then transferred briefly to Kanimbla for processing.

The patrol boat was later attacked and sunk by a US aircraft.

In the lead up to the war people from northern Iraq were placed into many key areas.

Iraqi patrol boats had COs and other key personnel from southern Iraq replaced by northerners and changes to their operating procedures were detected.

While the boat was in Umm Qasr the Revolutionary Guard replaced most of the crew with Guards personnel and ordered it to attack Coalition ships.

The incident involving the three Warrant Officers occurred after the boat sailed.

In another worrying incident an Iraqi vessel was searched and found to have five vacant slots where mines could have been.

“Had they been deployed? Did they exist?” were the questions asked at the time.

CAPT Jones said Kanimbla, Darwin and Anzac had done great things, as had the divers of AUSCDTTHREE, the flights attached to the ships and the groups of RAN personnel working ashore in support of not only the RAN but also the Coalition.

The former CTG saw sea control of the Northern Arabian Sea and riverine patrols of the KAA waterway to ensure the protection of merchant shipping as future roles for the RAN in ongoing operations.

“It is a fairly long stretch of coastline so there’s a need to ensure merchant shipping safety and surety to insurers and merchant ship owners that the waterway is clear and patrolled.

“The Kuwaiti Navy operate just inside their territorial waters and the Iranians tend to do the same,” CAPT Jones said.

“So there is a section of international waters as well as Iraqi territorial waters which needs some form of patrol.

“I anticipate that will go on for some months.”

 

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