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NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2007 31
Crisis? WhatWhat cricrisis?
IF THERE is a crisis
range and in austere conditions.
looming, then the British
“To me, it is absolutely essential
that all Government Departments
military may just be the
regularly train and exercise
answer to the problem. together now that we are operating
Earlier this year the
alongside each other in crisis areas
expeditionary Joint Force
across the globe.”
Headquarters (JFHQ)
The austere conditions,
conducted a challenging
temperatures of 40ºC and
torrential rain storms, presented
deployment to Mozambique
plenty of challenges for staff and
on Exercise Xenon Mercury.
equipment alike.
JFHQ is a tri-Service
But there were also opportunities
organisation based at Northwood,
for additional training, including
in Middlesex, a core staff of 52
live firing, first aid and vehicle
personnel drawn from the Royal
mobility – core skills for members
Navy, the Army and the RAF. of the JFHQ staff.
JFHQ provides a rapidly The HQ also found time to
deployable HQ for expeditionary challenge the local battalion
operations and responses to soccer team to a friendly match,
natural disasters. diplomatically losing by the odd
Using a scenario based on the goal in seven.
devastating floods that brought The exercise presented an ideal
chaos to the country in 2000, opportunity to forge
the HQ staff planned the military closer co-operation
contribution to a humanitarian with the Mozambique
disaster relief operation. government; invited
Crucially, other Government Army Liaison Officers
departments, including the observed the exercise
Department for International and, once the exercise
Development and the Post phase was complete,
Conflict Reconstruction Unit, also undertook a short
participated – their representatives operational planning
worked closely with the military course delivered by
planners to coordinate the JFHQ staff.
simulated relief operation. Recent JFHQ
Chief Joint Force Operations, operations include the
Brig Ed Butler, said: “This was the evacuation of British
first exercise of its kind which saw dependants from Beirut
DFID and the PCRU planning in 2006, the Pakistan
and deploying alongside the JFHQ earthquake in October
on a short-notice, contingency 2005 and the Asian
operation, conducted at strategic tsunami the same year.
French connection
THE DEFENCE Maritime Logistics School at HMS
Raleigh has played host to the Commanding Officer of
their French counterparts.
During a day-long visit, Capt Etienne Devailly of the
Ecole de Fourier was briefed on the DMLS’s role and
● Cpl Dean Burditt of JFHQ chats to a Mozambique man during a
training methods.
mock demonstration at Camp Moamba (above)
He toured the various logistics training squadrons,
● Camp Moamba is assembled at dusk (top)
meeting junior Logistics Officers and trainee chefs,
stewards, stores accountants and writers undergoing
● A member of JFHQ fi res the Dragonov sniper rifl e during Exercise
instruction.
Xenon Mercury in Mozambique (left)
Pictures: Cpl Chris Hargreaves RLC
The visit further cements the close ties which
have been developed between DMLS and the Ecole
de Fourier over the past two years, which has seen
trainees from the Cornish establishment visiting
Blake Squadron
Cherbourg and taking part in joint exercises.
‘Big Cig’ is hounded out
links students
A NEW squadron has been formed look after the students.
at the cradle of naval leadership to “The Blake initiative is striving
nurture the commanders of the to engender squadron identity,
future. team spirit, and provide the RN’s
IN A BID to stop smoking at RNAS Deputy Principal Medical Offi cer Surg
Blake Squadron at Britannia representatives at university with a
Culdrose, the medical team has been Lt Cdr Matthew Turner said the ‘Big Cig’
Royal Naval College in Dartmouth sense of pride, military ethos and
giving the ‘Big Cig’ a rough time. was no longer welcome at Culdrose.
runs alongside the existing bearing,” explained Cdr Philpott.
The butt of their disdain has been “To ensure that the ‘Big Cig’ is
Cunningham and St Vincent Key to the success of Blake is the
kicked out of a Sea King and had police extinguished from the base once and for
Squadrons, but with the goal of position of Senior Sub-Lieutenant;
dogs set on him. all, 771 NAS and the military police dogs
supporting university students. the inaugural possessor of the title
On National No Smoking Day last are on hand to stub him out if he dares to
At any one time around 200 of is MID Alistair Denyer, currently
month the team put across the Navy’s make another appearance,” he said.
the students passing through the studying at Southampton, who
smoking cessation message to those “At Culdrose, 33 per cent of men and
nation’s universities are sponsored was selected out of the entire
working on the Cornish base. 26 per cent of women smoke. With this
by the RN – prospective dental squadron as the right person to
Medical staff ran roadshows to raise being above the national average, and
officers and doctors, University foster the new unit and act as the
awareness of the advice and support the obvious risk to long-term health, we
Cadet Entrants and civilians with principal link between Dartmouth
available to them, and to persuade are very keen to reduce this.
a reserved place at Dartmouth and the scores of students.
smokers to quit. “We brought in a ban on smoking in
once they have completed their The divisional structure now
The team also used ‘Smokey Suzie’, all buildings in December ahead of the
studies. in place for the undergraduates
the smoking dolly, to show the harm that nationwide ban, and existing smokers
On top of that another 60 should be able to better support
cigarettes can do to the human body. now have to smoke outdoors with no
budding engineer officers are their needs whether they’re
covered shelter
sponsored under the Defence studying in the UK or on work
provided.
Technical Undergraduate Scheme placements overseas.
“This has already
at Southampton, Aston, Newcastle In due course a web chat forum
had a marked effect,
and Loughborough universities. will be set up via the RN’s internet
and attendance at the
Until now this steady flow of site to allow Blake squadron
smoking cessation
undergraduates has been in the personnel to chat with each other
clinics run by the
RN’s typically no-fuss fashion, and with their alma mater about all
medical centre has
but given the importance of these aspects of student and RN life.
increased.
future officers – the commanders, More information on the
“We hope that our
captains and admirals of 20- squadron and RN student
actions on National
30 years’ time – Dartmouth’s sponsorship is available from Lt
No Smoking Day will
Commander Universities Cdr Ian Taylor at BRNC on 01803
have an impact too.”
Nigel Philpott decided to form 677174 or BRNC-UOA@nrta.
About 12 million
the new squadron specifically to mod.uk
adults in the UK
smoke cigarettes
(26 per cent of men Bridge now goes further
and 23 per cent of
women) and every DARTMOUTH’S bridge trainer has been given a comprehensive
year some 114,000 upgrade, making it the most modern in the Navy.
die as a result. The Navi-Trainer Professional 4000 provided a major software
Smoking kills upgrade, which when combined with new projection equipment makes it
around six times more much more realistic and allows more RN vessels to be simulated.● A police dog gets to
grips with ‘Big Cig’ at RNAS people in the UK than
The system can even be linked to other bridge simulators, and the CO
Culdrose (above) the combined totals
of BRNC, Cdre Tim Harris, said: “It is very exciting to think that in a
of all road traffi c few years’ time, British cadets could be conducting real-time Officer of
accidents, other the Watch manoeuvres or even practising a replenishment at sea, with
● ‘Big Cig’ is booted out of a
Search and Rescue Sea King
accidental deaths, ships in the virtual environment being driven by cadets from our sister
helicopter (right)
poisonings and academies from all over the world.”
overdoses, murders As well as training cadets, the simulator is also used by command
Pictures: PO(Phot) Ian and manslaughter,
teams from ships and submarines based at Devonport who are seeking
Richards, RNAS Culdrose
and suicides.
to hone particular skills.
031_NN_apr.indd 1 16/3/07 15:48:05
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