PROUD: CDF ACM Angus Houston with (from left to right) CPOCSM Thomson, LSBM West, CPOMED Brady, POCSS McIntyre, POEWL Roberts, CPOSN Butterworth.

Photo: ABBM J. McDougall

By CPL Simone Liebelt

In his first visit to the MEAO as the new the Chief of Defence Force, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, had nothing but praise for the sailors working in the hot and dangerous environment.

“Conditions were very extreme, but the fact that they were extreme didn’t worry our people at all,” ACM Houston said.

“They were just getting on with the business of doing their job and doing it wonderfully well. It was evident wherever you went - the humour, the smiling faces; they were all very proud of what they were doing and doing it well.

“I was deeply impressed with the way the whole team was working together.”

His first visit with sailors was to HMAS Newcastle, which was one of the many coalition vessels in Task Force 58, providing operational security for the Northern Arabian Gulf.

“Newcastle is doing a magnificent job,” ACM Houston said.

“They are working with the coalition to provide a defensive screen around the two Iraqi oil terminals. “These two oil terminals are vital to Iraq’s future, as 95 per cent of the oil comes out of those terminals, counting for 80 per cent of their gross domestic product.”

He said the ship’s company was achieving outstanding results, under horrendous conditions. “I deeply respect the stokers and sailors who are below decks working in the most oppressive and most demanding conditions,” he said.

“The temperatures are in the mid-50s, so when you take those 50 degrees below decks, it creates a very demanding environment.” His next visit was to USS Normandy to meet with Commodore Steve Gilmore and his 14 Royal Australian Navy members of the coalition Task Force 58 (TF-58).

Commodore Gilmore and his team were overseeing coalition maritime operations in the northern part of the Gulf as well as providing maritime security for Iraqi oil platforms.

He said it was “an absolute delight” to visit all his troops in field.

“I was uplifted by their enthusiasm and their professionalism and the dedicated way they went about their business.

Everybody was contributing to the great results they were achieving and I was very, very proud of all of them.”

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