Navy People: Lockleys Sailor Says “Aloha”
29 June 2008
It is a long way from Lockleys to Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, but local Sailor John Dawe has travelled further than most to get there. John, an Able Seaman in the Royal Australian Navy, is currently in Hawaii with the Navy to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
A fully qualified Marine Technician, AB Dawe has already served on four different ships in his four years in the Navy.
The engine room watch-keeper has spent time on Western Australia-based supply ship HMAS Sirius, submarine HMAS Rankin, landing craft HMAS Balikpapan and Sydney-based supply ship HMAS Success.
“This is my first overseas trip with the Navy and I’m excited to be part of the largest naval exercise in the world,” John said.
“Hawaii is an awesome place and Pearl Harbour is just full of history and naval tradition.”
Besides his electrical maintenance role, AB Dawes is also involved in working on the ship’s propulsion and auxiliary systems. He is a qualified boarding party member and is on the ship’s fire fighting and damage control team.
Back home in Lockleys, John attended Temple Christian College. He was also a member of the Brooklyn Park Uniting Cricket Club. But all that seems a long way from where he is now.
“I’ve done so many things in my four years in the Navy,” John said.
“My ambition is to achieve promotion to Leading Seaman later this year and continue to travel far and wide with the Navy.”
Currently posted to replenishment ship HMAS Success, AB Dawe is part of a contingent of four Australian ships which are participating in RIMPAC 2008 in Hawaii.
RIMPAC is a biennial multilateral exercise held in the Hawaiian Islands. Countries participating include Australia, Canada, Chile, Netherlands, Japan, Peru, Singapore, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom and 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. The Royal Australian Navy’s contribution to Exercise RIMPAC 08 includes HMA Ships Success, Anzac, Tobruk and Waller, a Clearance Diving Team 4 and a headquarters element.
RIMPAC 2008 will be conducted from 27 June to 31 July 2008 and is the 21st in the RIMPAC series.
