Our People in WA
Belinda Porter - Belmont
The last year has been a whirlwind for Belmont local Belinda Porter. Not only did she graduate as a Seaman from the Royal Australian Navy recruit school, she discovered she was deploying overseas for six months.
Now Belinda and her 180 shipmates aboard HMAS Parramatta are on pirate patrol off the Horn of Africa. As a combat systems operator, Belinda is the eyes and ears of the ship.
“My primary role is as a surface operator in the operations room,” said Belinda. “I detect, track and classify contacts by radar. It is a lot of responsibility as I help inform command of the overall picture of what’s happening around the ship.
“I also take part in seamanship duties like helping with lines as the ship pulls into and out of harbour as well as whole ship activities such as being refuelled by another ship while we are underway – which is not as easy as it sounds!”
While it has been a steep learning curve, Belinda says the support of the close-knit crew has made the transition to her first ship-posting much easier.
“I only had two weeks notice that my first posting was a 6-month deployment to the Gulf, so I have had to adapt quickly to find my feet and fit in.
“The crew has been really friendly and helpful, and they are always willing to point me in the right direction when they find me walking the wrong way!”
As to the future, “I am also looking forward to learning and becoming more competent at my job and getting a chance to visit some interesting ports,” said Belinda.
Despite the adventure of life on the high seas, Belinda says she is looking forward to returning home to spend some quality time with her loved ones.
“At the moment I keep long shifts —called ‘watches’ in the Navy — which can get tiring, so I am looking forward to going on a holiday and spending lots of time with my partner, as well as catching up with my family and mates.”
Since departing Sydney on 26 September 2011 Belinda and her shipmates have alreadyconducted maritime security operations in the Gulf region and around the Horn of Africa; including counter-piracy and anti-smuggling operations in the Gulf of Aden, and supported counter-terrorism activities.
This is the 27th rotation by a RAN ship to the Middle East since 2001.
Further details of HMAS Parramatta and her deployment are available at the below link: http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Parramatta
Or follow HMAS Parramatta’s progress through the Royal Australian Navy’s Facebook page and on Twitter!