Navy People: Mardi Sailor Says “Aloha”
14 July 2008
It is a long way from Mardi to Pearl Harbour in Hawaii, but local sailor Craig Pollock has travelled further than most to get there. Craig, an Able Seaman in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), is currently in Hawaii to participate in ExerciseRim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).
Along the way, Able Seaman Pollock, who was raised in Shelley Beach, but now lives in Mardi, has seen some sights.
“But by far the most awesome experience I’ve had since joining the Navy in 2002, was being part of ship’s company onboard HMAS Tobruk as we sailed into Pearl Harbour,” he said.
“As we passed through the heads and made our way to the harbour, Tobruk sailed past Waikiki Beach, then the Arizona Memorial and great battleship USS Missouri. Entering Pearl Harbour Naval Station, ships from all nations were everywhere.”
Craig’s specialty in the Navy is aviation and he is responsible for maintaining Tobruk’s capacity to work with and embark the RAN’s helicopters.
“I’m also a member of the flight deck team, an aircraft refueler and fire fighter,” he said.
Craig gained his Level Four qualifications in Aviation Maintenance Engineering at the Royal Australian Air Force base in Wagga before various aviation postings with the Navy.
“Being in Hawaii for RIMPAC is a special experience,” he said.
“To get the chance to work with other nations is the icing on the cake. I can’t imagine doing anything else for a job. Yesterday we had the chance to work with helicopters from a United States Navy ship in the exercise and we showed our training is up with the best of them as everything went smoothly,” said Craig.
Craig says that the chance to share comradeship and feel part of a team is one of the biggest attractions of Navy life.
“Of course it’s also fantastic to travel and visit new places, all as part of the job,” he said On his return from Hawaii, Craig expects to spend some quality time with his wife, family and friends.
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 RAN’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 will be conducted from 27 June to 31 July 2008 and is the 21st in the RIMPAC series.
