LOOK WHO’S BACK
HMAS Ballarat made an emotional return to Sydney on September 1. Navy News’ reporter Michael Brooke joined the crew’s family and friends on the dock to welcome her home.

NEW ADDITION: After six months away in the Gulf, LSCIS Leanne Billington meets her nephew, Harry, for the first time.

DRY LAND (far right): Sailors disembark at the overseas passsenger terminal in Sydney.

WAITING (right): The family of HMAS Ballarat’s CO CMDR Malcolm Wise wait to be reunited.

IN A NUTSHELL

HMAS Ballarat was away for 186 days. During this period three members of the crew became fathers and one became a grandfather. During her time in the Gulf, Ballarat conducted 96 boardings and security patrols. Ballarat’s crew trained with coalition warships including some from the Iraqi Navy, which involved Iraqi officers spending considerable amounts of time onboard Ballarat.

HMAS Ballarat (CMDR Malcolm Wise) returned to her home port in Sydney on September 1 following a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Catalyst where she distinguished herself in keeping with the finest traditions of the RAN.

More than 700 people including Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (representing the Minister for Defence), Chief of Navy VADM Russ Shalders AO, CSC, RAN, and Maritime Commander Australia RADM Davyd Thomas were on hand to welcome Ballarat home from her first deployment.

CN said Ballarat’s return to Sydney on a glorious Spring day, accompanied by the cheers of 700 happy family and friends, was a fitting welcome home for a ship that performed her duty with great zeal and professionalism.

“Ballarat did a fantastic job in the Gulf – one that not only the Navy, the crew’s family and friends, but all Australians can be proud of,” he said.
CN said Ballarat assisted in the detection, deterrence and interception of vessels within Iraqi waters suspected of undertaking illegal activity.

“Importantly, Ballarat assisted in protecting Iraq’s offshore assets such as oil platforms, thus ensuring Iraq’s key economic resources are able to generate much-needed funds to support reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts,” he said.

MCAUST said he was very proud of Ballarat for a job well done, as were the scores of family and friends who waved flags and banners celebrating their loved-ones home-coming in time for Father’s Day.
In a break from tradition, Ballarat berthed not at Fleet Base East but Circular Quay where the RAN band contributed to the carnival atmosphere that surrounded the happy reunions among Ballarat’s 185 crew and their families.

CMDR Wise paid tribute to the dedication of the crew during the deployment.

“Our mission was to make a contribution to the effective rebuilding of Iraq and I can safely say that mission has been successfully completed and there is no doubt that this success rests squarely on the shoulders of the fine young men and women from HMAS Ballarat,” he said.

“It is their tireless effort, their enthusiasm for the task and their Anzac spirit of helping their mates that has earned them and their ship the title ‘The Little Frigate that Can’
“I personally thank the families and friends for the sacrifices they have made in supporting Ballarat’s crew on this long but important journey.”
During her time in the Gulf, Ballarat conducted 96 boardings and security patrols, 607 boat evolutions, 18 replenishments at sea and vertical replenishments, 317 flying hours by its embarked Navy Seahawk helicopter and 505 investigative queries of merchant vessels.

Ballarat was away for 186 days during which time three members became fathers, one for the first time, and one became a grandfather.
A feature of Ballarat’s homecoming was the fact that her crew wore the Australian Active Service Medal they were presented during their port-call to HMAS Stirling.
Another feature was the consensus among the crew and their families that the mail service, email and access to phones on the ship and in port helped defeat the tyranny of distance and keep sailors in touch with their relatives.

For example, Ballarat received 4,983 kilograms of mail from family and friends.
CMDR Wise said the support from home was fantastic.

“We got so much mail and lots of emails from our loved ones back home that gave us the strength to carry on and do our duty to the best of our ability – to make our families and the nation proud,” he said.
XO Ballarat LCDR Jonathon Earley kept in regular contact with his family via telephone and did not miss out on his two-year-old daughter’s progress in talking.

“We all missed him but the communications made it bearable for us all – we felt like he was only a phone call away,” said his wife Eleanore.

Danielle Maguire welcomed home her husband PO Matthew Maguire with a 10-metre banner that read: ‘Steady Eddy’. PO Maguire said he received a steady stream of family news throughout the deployment and never felt far from home or removed from family matters.

ABCIS Carlos Gabila returned from his first deployment in four years in the Navy. “I really missed my family but the communications made such a long deployment bearable,” he said.
AB Rebecca Witherspoon said her first deployment was a major “learning curve” and that the most challenging aspect was being away from home for so long.

“The most challenging aspect was being away from my family but fortunately I was in touch with them via emails, letters and phone calls pretty regularly,” she said.

ABCIS Michelle Powell said she called her family during port visits or used the twice weekly mail service on the ship to stay in touch with her parents, who are both ex-Navy.
ABSM Adam Lovra marked his return from Op Catalyst by shaking hands with a cold can of Bundy and coke which was given to him by his girlfriend, in acknowledgement of his frequent emails complaining about the oppressive heat.

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