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Chaplain
Chris Aulich from HMAS Adelaide visits US sailors CPO Michael
Himes, AB Daniel Jones, LEUT Jason Stewart and CPO Keith
Hill working on an Iraqi oil terminal in The Gulf.
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Photo:
CPL Neil Ruskin
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By
CPL Damian Shovell
Arab
woman step froward
High score for boarding teams
CDF visits
HMAS
Adelaide oil terminals
(MPEG
Video 3.99 MB)
HMAS
Adelaide boarding terminals
(MPEG
Video 7.26 MB)
For
the detachments of US security personnel based on the isolated
Al Basrah (ABOT) and Kal Alamaya (KAAOT) oil terminals, support
from HMAS Adelaide is going a long way.
Situated in the northern end of The Gulf, the terminals are major
assets of the new Iraq, and pose opportune targets for anti -
Iraqi forces, as demonstrated in April when they came under coordinated
terrorist attacks.
Security increased following the attacks with a detachment of
heavily armed US security personnel positioned on each platform.
Facilities on the platforms were initially limited and personnel
relied on the scene of action commander (a Coalition ship) at
either platform to take small groups onboard for some R&R.
“Adelaide has been our scene of action commander in this region
quite often, and whenever they’re here we do a welfare interaction
– they send some of their folks over here and we send some of
ours over there.”
Adelaide’s XO LCDR Stephen Bowater said since the ship arrived,
the US personnel have received air-conditioned shippingcontainer
style accommodation, showers and phone and internet access.
“[Conditions] are getting better all the time, but it’s still
hot with rats running around on it and it’s been smacked by two
Gulf Wars there’s holes all over it,” he said. “If we’re at KAAOT,
we get a small number of personnel every day.”
When Adelaide is scene of action commander she also provides meals
to the terminals that are transported onboard one of Adelaide’s
two RHIBs Valiant and Charger in what Adelaide has labelled the
Meals on Keels run.
Arab
women step forward
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Female
officers from Adelaide visit the Abu Dhabi Womens College
in the United Arab Emirates.
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By
LEUT Gisele Mouret
Female
officers from HMAS Adelaide embraced the Arab culture when they
visited a women’s college in the middle east recently.
The Abu Dhabi Women’s College hosts revolutionary ideas and heralds
a changing of the guard in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In times gone past women were seen in black and only at home or
in the company of their fathers, brother, or husbands.
Today, however, this government sponsored “women only” technical
college offers degrees in Information Technology, Business, Communication
and Media Arts, Health Sciences, and Education.
Where in the past teachers have been imported from surrounding
countries to teach the children of the UAE, now the UAE aims to
teach its own.
Female officers from Adelaide were approached by Mr Phil Milton,
Supervisor Educational Technology of the College, to visit their
facility.
The Adelaide visitors were given the opportunity to witness some
very interesting projects put together by the Information Technology
and Media students, as well as take the time to chat with 2nd
year Education students.
Whilst still dressing in black and abiding by customs and laws,
the women are excited by the opportunities now becoming available
to them.
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High
score for boarding teams
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Boarding
Party members from HMAS Adelaide, in The Gulf, prepare to
board a merchant vessel during a boarding operation in search
of illegal weapons and contraband.
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Photo:
CPL Neil Ruskin
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By
CPL Damian Shovell
As
HMAS Adelaide prepared to depart for a week’s R and R in Dubai,
its boarding teams had one more milestone to meet – cracking more
than 90 boardings since arriving in the The Gulf.
Aside from providing security to the two oil terminals Al Basrah
(ABOT) and Kal Alamaya (KAAOT), Adelaide’s mission as part of
the Maritime Interception Force is to board and search vessels
to prevent the supply of illegal imports into Iraq (including
weapons).
LEUT Martin Radunz, officer of the watch and boarding party officer,
says Adelaide’s boarding parties consist of two teams, with each
party split into two smaller teams with a boarding officer and
a 2IC.
“We use the smaller teams to board small vessels – dhows, fishing
boats – and we use larger teams for the larger vessels like tankers
cargo carriers, passenger ships,” he said.
He said because of the heat, which is compounded by wearing body
armour, the two teams work on a half - day rotation.
The boarding parties consist of members drawn from every facet
of the ship.
The boarding officer and a communications number concentrate on
speaking to the Captain, while a bridge party, an electronics
technician and communications information systems operator, protects
them while gathering intelligence.
The boarding party 2IC is usually a Petty Officer with boarding
experience, and forms a pair with the medic. “Then there’s the
security element.
There are two bosuns mates who carry the shotguns.
They provide crew security and stop the crew from moving around.
“We have two pairs of sweeps who move around the ship conducting
a search.”
The sweep teams comprise of electronic technicians, communicators,
combat systems operators, stores personnel and clearance divers.
LEUT Radunz said by combining individual skills sets, it allows
the teams to spot different things.
“There’s no longer any smuggling operations like what used to
be before the war against Iraq, where we would prevent the oil
coming out and weapons going in.
Now we’re going in to stop illegal weapons going into fuel the
fight against the Coalition,” he said.
“We’re also looking for terrorist movements in or out.
We know they use water to try and get people in and out of the
area so we’re looking for people that way, and we’re also looking
for things that are going to earn money for terrorists.”
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CDF
visits
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CDF
GEN Peter Cosgrove
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By
SBLT David Fulton
CDF
GEN Peter Cosgrove dropped in, or more to the point was dropped
off, recently by an Iraq Costal Defence Force (ICDF) patrol boat
to visit HMAS Adelaide in the The Gulf.
GEN Cosgrove was in the middle of his tour of the Middle East
Area of Operations.
The CDF promoted SMN Gloury, Dunn, Edmunds and Mead to AB and
he presented AB Evans with his Australian Active Service Medal.
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