Where they'll be for Christmas
While the vast majority of Navy personnel will spend Christmas with family and friends, spare a thought for those on duty, or on call, both here and overseas.

Sea bells ringing for HMAS Melbourne
HMAS Melbourne (CMDR Vern Dutschke) will spend Christmas Day at sea patrolling in the Persian Gulf, providing maritime security in support of the rehabilitation of Iraq.


Yuletide WOW for Watson
The band wore Santa hats and reindeer antlers, the children waved cups holding candles, their parents sipped from flutes and the “man in red” arrived on a fire engine.


Christmas in Solomons for Cessnock
HMAS Cessnock (LCDR Richard Stevenson) deployed to the Solomon Islands on the December 13 after completing a two-week WUP/MRE and will return late January 2004.


Remora to the “rescue”
The Navy’s ability to rescue personnel from a disabled submarine was put to the test during Black Carillion exercises off the West Australian coast.


Briefs
Commanding Officer of HMAS Stirling CMDR Phil Orchard has reflected on another busy year before several hundred guests during the CO’s annual reception adjacent to the quarterdeck on December 5.

No place for drug cheats warns CO
The Commanding Officer, HMAS Penguin, CMDR John Shevlin has warned the men and women in his command they “won’t be in the Navy” if they are caught with drugs.


Random testing on the way
The Navy will be ready for random testing for illegal drug use in the near future with up to 10 per cent of personnel to be tested each year.


Tassie Devil displays sharp end
Commander of Northern Command (COMNORCOM) AIRCDRE Steve Walker recently gained a feel for the sharp end of an Operation Relex patrol.

Ashmore Reef for the birds
When HMAS Fremantle (LCDR Matt Brown, RAN) recently sailed for an Op Relex/Cranbury patrol, the ship’s regular navigator was replaced by Canberra-based reservist and Customs Officer, LCDR Alastair Smith.

Bunbury to the rescue
The Navy certainly keeps its eye on the environment.


Wewak’s winning ways
HMAS Wewak (LCDR Etienne Mulder) has found that its second rotation to Op Anode harks back to two of the earliest of Naval tasks; exploration and winning hearts and minds.

Ship’s Lady steers steady course
Mandurah resident, Mrs Jill Green, recently had the opportunity to experience life at sea onboard the Royal Australian Navy’s newest warship, HMAS Parramatta.

Newcastle’s mercy dash
Three Royal Australian Navy sailors from HMAS Newcastle (CAPT Gerry Christian), backed by the rest of the ship’s company, have saved the lives of four Iraqi merchant crewmen thrown into the sea when their tug sank in the northern Persian Gulf.


Tartan Terror piped home
With a lone piper playing Waltzing Matilda from above her bridge, the Tartan Terror, HMAS Stuart, returned home to Sydney last month.


Wollongong returns from Op Anode
The Fremantle Class Patrol Boat HMAS Wollongong, and her 26 ship’s company, have returned after two months away contributing to Operation Anode in the waters off the Solomon Islands.

Sad passing of a great character
One of the Navy’s larger than life characters, CMDR David Charles Allen, passed away on November 25 after a battle with cancer.


Flag lowered in Darwin
Darwin’s long-serving naval base HMAS Coonawarra is getting her sea legs after moving one step closer to the sea on December 1.


Kanimbla comes up trumps in 2003 Fleet Awards
The ship’s company of HMAS Kanimbla (CMDR Stephen Woodall) has won the prestigious Gloucester Cup for 2003, following the announcement of the annual Fleet proficiency awards by Maritime Commander RADM Raydon Gates.

Melbourne reunion scheduled
The 35th reunion for the accident between HMAS Melbourne and USS Frank.E.Evans on June 3, 1969 will be held in Adelaide from June 2-4, 2004.

Helping frequent flyers escape unscathed
Manager of Aviation Training at Albatross’ TA-AVN, LCDR Steve Hancock and his team are regularly called upon to instruct “frequent flyers”.

Satellite to aid ships at sea
The Navy continues to move to the forefront of modern military capability following the signing of a $72 million contract with BAE Systems Australia for a high bandwidth maritime satellite communications system.

Camera phones pose risk
Should Santa Claus leave a mobile phone with picture-taking capabilities as a gift this Christmas, please be very careful where you take it and where you use it.

While Dad’s away the kids can play
With more than 500 RAN personnel away for Christmas as part of Australia’s commitments to operations in Iraq, the Indian Ocean, and the Solomons it can be lonely for both parties – those away and the loved-ones at home.

Ashes scattered in ceremony
Family members, shipmates and friends said a final farewell to CMDR Mark Hudson the esteemed Hydrographic Office staffer killed earlier this year in the Waterfall train accident south of Sydney.

Greater analysis to bring big benefits
It is called MOAC, the Maritime Operations Analysis Centre, and from here on it will help to improve the way the Royal Australian Navy operates.


Course to keep pace with technology
The systems delivered with acquisitions such as the Super Seasprites, AP-3C, Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter and Joint Strike Fighter represent a significant leap in the level of technology available in the ADF.

Chinese tour Navy bases
Vice Admiral Yao Xingyuan, Deputy Chief of China’s Navy, and six other senior Peoples Liberation Army-Naval
(PLA-N) officers, recently visited various Royal Australian Navy (RAN) bases to observe training delivery, procedures and facilities.

New facility opens at Harman
Defence’s information super-highway stands to move into top gear with the opening of the Defence Network Operations Centre (DNOC) at HMAS Harman on December 1.

Driving the Navy’s future
And who will command the next generation of ships to enter service in the Royal Australian Navy?

Next generation of Foord family
Three generations of Navy clearance divers were praised at HMAS Penguin when eight sailors graduated from Basic Clearance Divers Course 56 (BCD56) after 32 weeks of training.

Top brass review class
The Royal Australian Naval College graduation of 62 new entry officers was marked with even greater distinction with the Reviewing Officer, His Excellency Major General Michael Jeffery AC, CVO, MC, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

New tactics pay off
A Royal Australian Navy officer who developed tactics to counter emerging smuggler activities in The Gulf, has seen her efforts formally acknowledged.

Retirement No 2 looms large for WO Stroud
After 27 years of dedicated service to the RAN WO Greg Stroud is retiring (again). This time he is actually leaving the Navy, but will still maintain close links as he intends to take up a job at the recently opened Navy Wharf at Eden.

Higher status for two Navy organisations
The Centre for Maritime Engineering (CME, Mr Ian O’Hara) and the Logistics Support Agency - Navy
(LSA-N, Mr Bill Coombes) are now provisional “Authorised Engineering Organisations” under the new Navy System of Technical Regulation.

Endeavour changes her tune
With hands waving and to the song “Crabs and Seashells” the 13 member permanent ship’s company of the sail training ship Young Endeavour said farewell to their commanding officer LCDR John Cowan late last month.

Kangaroo Valley kids hop in for visit
A group of Kindergarten and Year One students from Kangaroo Valley Public School, led by teacher Mr Max Vucic visited HMAS Albatross in October.

Cadets take flight in Sea King helicopter
Australian Naval Cadets (ANC) from TS Tyalgum have left behind their sailing dinghies and taken to the sky in an 817 Squadron Sea King.

So super
Entitlements for invalidity benefits

Telephonists exchange location
The telephonists at Garden Island Sydney’s Private Automatic Branch Exchange (PABX) took their last call mid-October and moved to Defence Plaza in Pitt St.

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