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NAVY NEWS, AUGUST 2008 15
● A CHF Sea King brings the landing force back on board
harpen their
from the Royal Logistics
Corps, from the Fleet
Air Arm, and – due to
a fortuitous meeting en
route to a Chinese takea-
way – CHF.
But it has taken the
reality of piling all thesese
extra bodies on to this shipship
to highlight some of the
relaxl ed.d””
fundamental issues, according to
He admits that when it came
Capt Rimell.
to the planning for the evacuation
He explained: “Simple things
exercise the experience on board
have come out of this. Troops
among his team was limited.
coming ashore at all hours of the
“But we did have Ocean’s
day want feeding at all hours of
Amphibious Ops Officer, Lt Col
the day.
Tom Blythe, with us. We were
“My ship’s company, with all
discussing ideas, and did perhaps
the secondary tasks that they have,
go slightly off at a tangent, and
do not have enough people to man
he said to us ‘You’ve got to be a
the galley 24 hours. But if they can
bit military here. Here’s how we
bring a couple of chefs, we can
would approach it.’
man the galley 24 hours.”
“The evacuation was very inter-
The other benefit of bringing
esting because it was so differ-
so many people together is the
ent. The organisation really came
camaraderie that has built up over
together very well.” The supply
the course of the exercise.
officer is understandably proud
Lt Col Paul said: “It’s great to
of the high rating that his team’s
see the different cap badges com-
work won in this phase.
ing in – yes, different cultures, but
He added: “It doesn’t matter
you employ those cultures, people
if it’s a steward or a marine that
end up calling each other by first
hits the shore. He only got to
names and working together as
that beach because we fed him,
a team, and understanding the
watered him, laundered him and
strengths that
transported
come with each “We were discussing ideas
him.”
of the cap badg-
and did perhaps go slightly
Even the
es.”
off at a tangent, and he
Army are rel-
“For me one
ishing the
of the key les-
said to us ‘You’ve got to be
FOST expe-
sons this ship
a bit military here’.” rience – sur-
will learn and
prisingly. 2Lt
take away with them is how to
Daisy Busher RLC, Vessel Troop
get all of these different groups
Commander within 17 Port and
working together as a single unit,”
Maritime, said: “We’ve loved
added Lt Cdr Spurdle.
it. We’ve had so many different
“One of the rewards of this
opportunities to get involved.”
job is when you see the light go
The 23 RLC people have fought
on with the ship’s team and the
fires on board, assaulted beaches,
people, and you can see them
managed evacuations – not their
think ‘Yeah, bloody hell, we can
usual day-to-day business.
do this’.”
She said: “It’s been really inter-
Capt Rimell describes it as
esting – particularly the links with
‘pulling strings’. He said: “It was
the Royal Marines. Finding out
clear when the training started to
the subtle differences between the
progress – no matter how different
ways that we work.”
they were when we started – how
She laughed: “I love it at sea.
quickly they all started working
I’ve got pirate blood I think.” But
together.
she says that feeling is shared by
“And so people who were
those in her command: “To be on
slightly standoffish in planning
board a ship and doing their job –
meetings, three or four days into
they love it.”
it they’re all calling each other by
Capt Rimell is clear about how
first names.
much has been achieved in the
“I think the crux early on is
short duration of South West
gaining the crucial understand-
Leopard: “I am immensely proud.
ing and respect that each has a
The enthusiasm, the sense of
job to do, each is crucial to the
humour, the professionalism of
overall success of whatever task
my ship’s company, in particular,
you’re doing and they each have
but of everybody on here. They’ve
an important role as a member of
been great, absolutely great.
that team.”
“In that respect it’s been a
real pleasure to bring six different
I
t’s a point that the ship’s groups, who work as individual
Logistic Supply Officer makes. groups together, to find ten days
1/O Kevin Oliver RFA admit- later they’re all working as a team.
ted: “For us, out of all the cultures And very efficiently as a team.”
on here, the RFA is the most ■ Turn over for Cheetah...
● The 9ASRM landing craft return to RFA Lyme Bay
0014-016_NN_aug08.indd 214-016_NN_aug08.indd 2 110/7/08 17:26:530/7/08 17:26:53
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