By
SBLT Joe Francis
HMAS Farncomb (CMDR Mark Hammond) kicked-off her four-month South-East
Asian deployment with a visit to the United States Territory of
Guam in late May.
Along
the 4200 nautical mile trip the crew celebrated two birthdays,
one promotion, a crossing the line ceremony, an exercise with
US Navy P-3 aircraft, and the awarding of one shiny new pair of
dolphins.
AB
Cowey proudly received his dolphins at the same time Farncomb
crossed into the northern hemisphere’s warmer waters.
Folklore suggests that early submariners drank seawater from deep-diving
depths when awarded their dolphins. In a pseudo-return to this
tradition, AB Cowey downed a fresh-brewed glass of Equator Water,
catching his badge in his teeth. (Equator Water = fresh water
made from sea water at the exact moment Farncomb crossed the equator).
The
traditional crossing-the-line ceremony brought out the bizarre
side of the crew and was followed by a refreshing swim in 5000
metres of water in the Pacific Ocean.
During
the passage north, Farncomb also celebrated the birthdays of the
Chief Tiff, CPO Layton and AB “Buck” Rogers.
During
the last week of the transit to the Southern Marianas, Farncomb
exercised with several United States Navy P-3 Orion maritime patrol
aircraft from the “Screaming Eagles”. The exercise,
named Hungry Joe, provided a great opportunity for both sides
to hone their anti-submarine warfare skills.
Farncomb’s
visit to Guam prompted an outstanding level of hospitality and
support from the US Navy, as well as a visit from the Australian
Consul-General to Guam and the Northern Marianas, Ms Corinne Tomkinson.
