By
LCDR Helen Ward
Volume 48, No. 10, June 15, 2006
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SMOOTH
OPERATOR: A 707 looks impressive alongside its companion
FA-18. A 33SQN 707 was responsible for the delivery of
participants in this year’s Exercise RIMPAC.
Photo courtesy 33SQN.
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ONE
of 33SQN’s newest pilots and the Commanding Officer of
the Squadron teamed up to ensure the Sea Combat Command Team
and Navy’s Clearance Diving Team One, arrived safely in
Hawaii for RIMPAC 2006.
It was the first international flight for FLGOFF Chris Nash
who had only recently completed his 707 Conversion Training.
However he received excellent tuition, with 33SQN CO WGCDR Jim
Ghee sitting beside him at the controls.
“We really enjoy tasks like these, it is nothing out of
the ordinary but still very important. It is our job to get
other people to destinations so that they can do their jobs,”
WGCDR Ghee said
The 93 passengers joined military staff from seven other nations
for this major maritime exercise, conducted in the waters off
Hawaii from June 26 to July 28.
RIMPAC 2006 brought together maritime forces from Australia,
Canada, Chile, Peru, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United
Kingdom and the United States.
HMA Ships Stuart, Manoora, and Rankin, Australian Clearance
Diving Team One and two AP-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Aircraft
with three Air Force crews, took part in the exercise.
This year’s exercise was the 20th in a series of exercises
conducted since 1971, and focused on the interoperability between
the coalition navies.
RIMPAC training operations involved participation by 40 ships,
including an aircraft carrier, six submarines, more than 160
aircraft and 19,000 sailors, airmen, marines, soldiers and coastguardsmen.
The Air Force Boeing 707 transported staff and equipment to
support the Sea Combat Commander, CDRE Rick Shalders, who was
the first Australian coordinating all sea units during the exercise
from an Australian ship, HMAS Manoora.
The passengers were grateful for the comfort and attention they
received from the 33SQN members. The cabin staff, led by FSGT
Bronwyn Crothers, SGT Lara Cluff and LACWs Nicole Daley, Azlin
Lloyd and Skye Van den Oever served hot meals and attended to
the passengers.
The flight from RAAF Base Richmond to USAF Hickham, with a short
stopover in Nadi, Fiji was uneventful.
Tourists at Nadi Airport were surprised to see more than 100
uniformed military personnel, but were readily assured that
this was merely a stopover en-route to Hawaii.
