By
SBLT Hugh Simpson and ABSN Joseph Elliot
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ABMT
Barry Whiley gets to know the residents of a village near
Port Adam in the Solomons.
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Police
escort duties, the resupply of far outposts and village visits
were all part of HMAS Balikpapan’s (LCDR Neal Greene) second deployment
to the Solomon Islands.
Balikpapan deployed to the Solomon Islands on January 5 from Darwin.
Balikpapan turned from landing craft into survey vessel for part
of the deployment. She took on three hydrographers for six days
to conduct surveys of some of the Solomon Islands least surveyed
areas.
During the deployment, the ship embarked Senior Sergeant John
Borrott from the Australian Federal Police and assisted him in
visiting villages along Malaita’s (an island NE of the Solomons
capital Honiara) east coast.
SGT John Borrott and Balikpapan’s Executive Officer, WOB Barry
Learoyd, with a security element from ship’s company conducted
over 20 village visits.
Many of these villages had not seen anyone from the Regional Assistance
Mission Solomon Islands since RAMSI’s arrival in country almost
six months ago.
The visits were a great success with almost all the villages welcoming
their Australian visitors with open arms. At Tuhule, a village
on Small Malaita, the crew challenged the village to a game of
soccer.
Even with two of the villagers on Balikpapan’s side, the village
won 3-1.
