No place for drug cheats warns CO

By Graham Davis

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.

“There is no place for drugs in the Navy,” he pointed out.

His hard-hitting remarks came in an address to Ceremonial Divisions at HMAS Penguin on Friday, November 28. It was CMDR Shevlin’s last Divisions before he hands command to CMDR Piers Chatterton on January 15.

A small group of family members and friends were on hand to watch the parade and see CMDR Shevlin present a number of awards and promote several sailors.

During his address CMDR Shevlin told the 120 officers and sailors before him to enjoy the upcoming reconstitution period by “resting, relaxing and recuperating with friends and family”.

“The training throughout this year has been unprecedented and you all deserve a rest,” he said.

“Take care; we live in a different world today. Be alert but not alarmed,” he said in reference to the Government’s warning to Australians on terrorism.

“Watch how much you drink and be watchful for drugs,” CMDR Shevlin said. He then discussed the introduction of random breath testing and the random urinalysis program across the RAN next year.

“In 2004, 10 per cent of the Navy will be tested for drugs,” he stated.

CMDR Shevlin then spoke of the future of HMAS Penguin and pointed out that three years ago a shadow hung over the establishment and its future was uncertain. “Today, our future is secure and assured,” he said. “The discussion is no longer about closure and leaving but about what other activities are coming in.”

CMDR Shevlin noted that Navy Technical Trade Training would be moving from Waterloo, and that additional Medical Training would also commence in mid-2004. Army’s 1 Commando Company should relocate by mid-2005 and the waterfront redevelopment is earmarked to begin in 2005-06.

CMDR Shevlin handed out a number of awards at Ceremonial Divisions.

Conspicuous amongst these was the inaugural presentation of the HMAS Penguin Sports Challenge Trophy for Inter-Departmental Sports Competition.

The trophy, introduced to encourage greater participation in sports and to promote a sense of fun, will be competed for in a variety of Summer and Winter sports. The first joint holders of the trophy, victors in a Beach Olympics Carnival held on Balmoral Beach, were teams representing Balmoral Naval Hospital and the RAN Diving School.

WOCD Paul Darcey and LSMED Gai Peters were also honoured as the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year.

CMDR Shevlin then called upon the RAN Hydrographer, CAPT Bruce Kafer to hand graduation certificates to seven RAN officers and sailors and one RNZN officer marking their successful completion of the H2 Hydrographic Surveying Course at Penguin.

The highly recognised course is believed to be the only one in the world where junior sailors, senior sailors and officers study shoulder to shoulder.

LEUT Ian Heldon was awarded the Gowlland Medal as the top officer on the course whilst PO Helen Carroll won the Tom Stewart Memorial Prize.

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