THE NAVY RESERVIST - Royal Australian Navy

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NAVY RESERVIST 12 Paradise safe by LCDR Iain Weir and SBLT Carolyn Docking NAVY Reserve divers recently assisted the PN with a vital aid program when five members of the Hobart-based Diving Team 10 (DT10) deployed to the Solomon Islands for 33 days with just 13 days’ notice. The five-man team comprised DT10 OIC, LCDR Paul Gregg, POCD Bill Denholm, LSCD Steve Taylor, LSATV Nick Dingle, and ABCD Chris Van den Broek. LCDR Gregg runs his own financial company, LS Taylor is a commercial diver, and LS Dingle and AB Van den Broek are constables in the Tasmanian Police. The team were part of the ADF’s Operation Render Safe, an ongoing initiative designed to remove unexploded ordnance (UXO) from WWII from the islands. They were embarked in HMAS Melville and the task ’surfaced’ because Melville was unable to field a complete PN dive team. During an earlier inspection by the Mine Warfare Clearance Diving Group (MCDGRP), the team had asked if they could be considered for a deployment. “When the need arose, the task was offered to them,” LCDR Herman Westerhof from the MCDGRP said. “They are a highly motivated team and they jumped at the opportunity.” During the deployment, the team conducted a wide range of tasks, including surveys of potential anchorage sites, laying and recovery of hydrographic equipment, environmental data gathering, visual survey of Former Mined Areas, identification of an area containing potential UXO, the visual survey of WWII wrecks, hull inspections and daily training and shipboard tasks. A DT10 diver signals the all clear during deployment. Photo: LCDR Greg Weir. LCDR Gregg said one of the highlights of the trip was the survey of a Japanese submarine wreck, following concerns that torpedoes and other explosives might remain on the boat. “The wreck was in eight to 26 metres of water and was in surprisingly good condition notwithstanding that the forward part had been damaged by a civilian salvage team in the 1970’s,” he said. LS Taylor said the trip had been a fantastic experience. LS Dingle said the deployment was a huge eye-opener into what Reservists are capable of. The Naval Reserve provides a good opportunity to do something totally different from policing. “I’m a shift worker so it’s a bit of a juggling act but the police and the dive team respect each other’s work commitments and allow flexibility,” he said. LS Dingle served in the RAN from 1993 until 2002 and joined the Reserves in 2005, the same year AB Van den Broek also joined. “It is something different, keeps me active and fit and gives me life skills,” said AB Van den Broek. His partner, Alex Marshal, was very supportive of his naval career. “It’s good for him to be a Reservist as he’s part of a team and gets to represent his country,” she said. “I am very supportive of his career in the Navy and I wouldn’t have any issue with him going full-time. I was happy for him to get a deployment.” Both LS Dingle and AB Van den Broek said the Tasmanian Police were very supportive of their deployment and they nominated the force for a Defence Employer Award, which it ultimately won. The team and its employers were later welcomed back at a reception at Anglesea Barracks. Melville’s CO later praised the team for its onboard efforts. “The DT was an extremely professional and experienced group who integrated quickly into routine soon after joining. They contributed to communal duties and watch on deck requirements and took an active interest and role in training in Melville,” he said. The Navy Reservist - ISSUE #2
NAVY RESERVIST 13 Full fathom five By LEUT Kara Wansbury THE Derwent River and waters in the vicinity of Hobart provided the setting for the Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group (MCDTG) when more than 200 personnel participated in Exercise Dugong there recently. The annual exercise is intended to test and enhance Navy’s Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving (MCD) capabilities. It focused on combined mine countermeasures, underwater battle damage, repair and salvage operations. More than 200 personnel and three ships, HMAS Huon, HMAS Diamantina and MSA (L) Bandicoot, participated. The personnel came from Australian Clearance Diving Team (AUSCDT) One and Four, and Diving Teams (DT) Six and Ten. Also making an appearance in colder waters than those in which they normally operate were members of the USN’s Mobile Diving Salvage Unit One, based in Pearl Harbour. HMAS Tobruk transported the 106 tonnes of equipment required for the exercise. During the exercise, members of AUSCDT One and DT 10 conducted a survey of the wreck of MV Illawarra, the ship that sank after colliding with Hobart’s Tasman Bridge on January 5, 1975. Twelve people died in the disaster. The clearance divers confirmed the structural integrity of the wreck and that its position did not pose a hazard to the bridge. Commander Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group, CMDR Dean Schopen, said the personnel from DT 10 were integral to the success of the exercise. “Their planning and stakeholder liaison in the lead up to, and during, the exercise has been first rate and is a reflection of the strong teamwork and leadership underpinning the team,” he said. CMDR Schopen said the focus for the task group would now turn to re-deployment and planning for the next MCD exercise in the Navy calendar – Mulgogger 2010. “Dugong’s success is a result of the personnel involved and their continued application of effort over the two-week period. “I am proud of the exercise outcomes and the competencies achieved,” he said. The Navy Reservist - ISSUE #2
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THE NAVY RESERVIST - Royal Australian Navy

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