Navy People: Kilcoy sailor says “Aloha”
14 July 2008
It is a long way from Kilcoy to Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, but local sailor Kirsty Buttery has travelled further than most to get there. Kirsty, a Seaman Marine Technician in the Royan Australian Navy, was recently in Hawaii to participate in ExerciseRim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Once the exclusive domain of male sailors, the Marine Technical department in the Navy has started to attract female recruits and by all accounts Kirsty is amongst the most promising on her ship HMAS Tobruk.
“I always had an interest in the Navy,” Kirsty said.
“When I was at Aspley High School, I was a member of the Navy Cadets at TS Paluma and Walrus.”
Joining in February 2007, Kirsty attended recruit school at HMAS Cerberus in Victoria and moved onto specialist training in her chosen area of marine maintenance.
“On Tobruk I help maintain our stern door, which opens to receive amphibious vehicles, work on the aft steering, the velle derrick crane and the ship’s boats,” Kirsty said.
Visiting Hawaii for the first time with the Navy is a dream come true for the Kilcoy local, whose parents still live in town.
“We had the chance to tour some of the ships from other nations which were participating in RIMPAC, as well as take a trip to Waikiki Beach. Many of the sailors also visited the Arizona memorial and saw some of the historic Pearl Harbour sights.”
“It’s fantastic to travel and visit new places, all as part of the job,” she said.
“I just love what I do, meeting people and working on such a variety of different jobs. I learn something every day.”
RIMPAC is a biennial multilateral exercise held in the Hawaiian Islands Operating Area. Countries participating with their navies include Australia, Canada, Chile, Netherlands, Japan, Peru, Singapore, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom and the USA. The exercise is intended to enhance the tactical proficiency of participating units in a wide array of combined operations at sea, on land and in the air. RIMPAC is the largest maritime exercise in the world.
By enhancing interoperability between participating countries, RIMPAC promotes stability in the Pacific Rim region to the benefit of all.
The Royal Australian Navy’s contribution to Exercise RIMPAC 08 includes HMA Ships Anzac, Tobruk, Success and Waller, Australian Clearance Diving Team 4, Fleet Battle Staff and a Headquarters element. RIMPAC 08 was conducted from 27 June to 31 July 2008 and was the 21st in the RIMPAC series.
