The Trade by Rudyard Kipling - Royal Australian Navy

Cadets take advantage of a
full day onboard HMAS Stirling
By LEUT Robyn Brennan
On Monday the 25 th of June 2012, 15 Australian Navy Cadets from TS Mandurah and 7 Cadets from TS Cockburn along with 4 staff spent
the day on board at HMAS Stirling.
The day commenced at 0900 where cadets and staff made their way to the WTTS for a shoot. Each cadet got to shoot 40 rounds and
then compete against each other in a team completion shooting at 200m. The activity was enjoyed by everyone involved.
The third and final stop on the tour was Weapons Training Room. In the weapons room
the guide explained how the torpedoes are loaded and fired. He also explained how the
torpedoes can be controlled from the Submarine by a wire for a certain amount of time.
A few other interesting things that we were shown between the simulators included an actual
diesel engine out of a submarine, an example of how the batteries are set up and how little
room there is to get to them if people need to go in and fix them and also a picture of the
first submarine that was used in combat.
There were also several rooms with equipment such as Reverse Osmosis Units that are used
to purify salt water to make it fit for human consumption and also equipment that removes
excess carbon dioxide from the air, however we were not allowed into these areas.
Cadets and staff then made their way to the Junior Sailors Mess for lunch before
heading to the Submarine Training and Systems Centre (STSC) for a tour.
There, they were broken in to three groups with three different guides and each
group was taken to a different simulator that is used in the training of Submarine
crews.
The first simulator and probably the favourite of the tour was the control room
simulator. The simulator imitated the movements of an actual Submarine diving,
surfacing and manoeuvring. We were given the basic idea of how a submarine
is steered. While in the simulator the guide made it imitate diving to about 60m,
turning both left and right and also conducting an emergency surfacing.
The next stop on the tour was the area where people are trained to operate the
propulsion systems etc. for the Submarines. The guide explained how the engines
and the batteries are used to propel the submarine.
After the visit to the STSC we went to the Naval Museum, where we looked around for about 45 minutes. After this we detoured via Sea
Dogs canteen, concluding the day with a quick drive around the island, seeing such sites as the Ammunition Wharf before returning to the
pass office car park where the cadets were collected by their parents.
Overall, the day was thoroughly enjoyed by all who took part and our thanks go out to all those who made this endeavour possible.
THE TRADE
EDITION 2, 2012
Students from TS Mandurah and TS Cockburn pose in front of the fin of ex-HMAS Oxley at the Submarine Training and Systems Centre at HMAS Stirling.
Welcome Aboard
Chaplain Mel Baker joined the Navy on
10 th of July 2011. She went to NEOC at
HMAS CRESWELL, graduating on the
1 st of December 2011. She joined the
Submarine Force on the 9 th December
2011 and will be working at the SUBFOR
HQ for 2 years.
Since joining the squadron, Mel has
established a good rapport with all
members of the community. Her service
to Sailors and Officers is to help them
to be the best they can be. If there is
anything stopping them from doing
just that, such as personal or work
issues, then she takes the opportunity
to get alongside of members, guide
them through the tough challenges and
explore the possibilities with them.
Commander Submarine Force, CAPT Mark Potter,
CSC (right) and Chaplain Steve Gunther (Left)
present Chaplain Mel Baker with a “Welcome
Aboard HMAS Stirling “ plaque at a recent
Chaplains Pay Day BBQ.
“I absolutely love being part of the
submarine community. It is a joy to work
alongside SMN through to the CAPT and
see them achieve much in their working
life and personal life.”
Chaplain Baker was fortunate enough
to join HMAS FARNCOMB during their
workups from the 10 th - 30 th of April
2012. During this time she completed
her submarine task book. However,
unfortunately due to no chaplaincy
category on board, she can not continue
on to get her dolphins.
NEWS
“It was an unreal experience, one that
I would never forget. I enjoyed hanging
out with the junior sailors off watch,
playing 500 and chatting with them over
a cuppa. The junior sailors taught me
much about their roles on board in all
the different categories. I even hung
with the Green Team during a fire drill to
understand their role too.”
A welcome member that always
has time for a chat and coffee, Mel
has settled in to the community and
has gained valuable insight into a
Submariner’s life.
On behalf of the Submarine Community,
we welcome aboard Chaplain Mel Baker
and look forward to working with her in
the future.
THE TRADE
EDITION 2, 2012