ENGINE - Royal Australian Navy

covered in earlier In modules
but it was found that, before the
trainees cou ld embark on the next
six week practical intensive course,
the fundamentals had to be well
grasped.
Now that the greetings, briefings
and refresher subjects have been
completed it is down to business.
The first module the trainees will
encounter is either ECM 1 - AN/
WSC-3 UHF Transceiver or ECM
3 - AN/SPS-55 Radar Distribution
System. Both of these modules are
seven days in length and involve
two days of theory, correct on/ off
and setting up procedures, built
in tests (if applicable) and fault
finding to modu le level utilising
General Purpose Test Eq uipment
(GPTE) to measure inputs and
outputs.
ECM 2 - CR H-1 1 HF Receiver
and ECM 4 - SRBOC have been
developed in the same format as
ECM 1 and 3. Both involve some
theory, lots of 'hands on' practica l
sessions, operation, testing and
eventually fault finding.
It is envisaged that ECM 1 - 4
will set the trainee up with the
necessary knowledge and abilities
to enable them to become a good
technician. It will expand the sma ll
library of skil l sets they already
possess and give them some
experience to draw from in futu re
situations.
The ECM ETPA component
is a module that expands the
whole course. The exercises and
duties covered by this module
are conducted by the trainees
from the first day of course. The
topics covered by the ECM ETPA
include, but are not limited, to the
following: SS Fp, Duty ET, Toxic Spill,
termination of cables with C type
connectors, ECC, the role of the
W & S Bill, Daily System Operator
Test (DSOT's) and Ready for Sea
checks. The Radar Building has
effectively become a ship to the
ECM trainees. Th ey are welcomed
in the foyer by a podium, pictures
of the CO and XO, peg boards and
rounds logs. The trainee's lockers
have been positioned closely
together to give them a feel for life
in a mess.
The trainees don anti flash , wear
duty ET and SSFP brassards,
conduct rounds, sign logs and
participate in ECC evolutions
utilising headsets. Th ey have to
order stores to rectify defects while
a CPO playing the WEEO loses
his cool under pressure, add ing
to the realism and increasing the
intensity of the exercise.
The role of the ECM ETPA is to take
the tra inee, who now has skills
required to be a good technician
from ECM 1-4, and train him how
to be a good sailor.
The following people have made
this course possible:
CPO David Rottinger - Primary
Developer and Project Manager;
CIO Mr Dennis Wilson -Approval
of classroom design, use of Radar
Bldg facilities and staff;
CPO McKeag - ECM Chief and
overall course facilitator;
CPO Morrissey - Lead Instructor
Radar Bldg and ECC guru;
Instructors - PO Belton (Comms),
PO Goray (Comms), PO Herman
(Weapons), LS Cooper (Weapons)
and APS6 Mr. Wayne Lewis
EF Curriculum Manager for ET's -
Mr. John Eriksson
TSF staff - WO Bohm, CPO Lovelock
and CPO Johnston.
It is our vision that this course
will help foster confidence and
competence in our most junior
technicians. In turn this confidence
will spread to our AB's and LS as
they will know that our qualified
SMN posses these qualities.
Th e competence wi ll steamroll
as our ECM trained Seamen
are promoted. This should carry
through to our Sen ior Sailors as
they see more competent and
confident j uniors posting to ships
and establishments. Eventually, the
problems of our trainees lacking
the necessary skills to be not only
technicians but sailors as well will
be a thing of the past.
To date, there has already been a
lot of positive feedback about the
ECM. This has come from CIO's at
CERBERU S, fleet units and from
the trainees themselves.
To some, this may on ly appear
as a band aid approach to fixing
a training deficiency. All I can say
is, the staff of the Radar Building
are doing their utmost to make the
ECM a success.
Only time will tell.