New Generation for a New Generation Navy
16 February 2010
Like lambs to the slaughter some might jokingly say, but more accurately like young pioneers about to launch into a great adventure, 125 New Entry Officers Course (NEOC’s) trainees arrived at HMAS Creswell, Jervis Bay on Australia Day.
The training programme for NEOC 42 would not be unrecognisable by many other previous NEOC’s, however New Generation Navy, especially its signature behaviours, is now embedded into NEOC thinking and acting.
From classroom power-point presentations, that may now be a blur to past NEOC’s, to getting down, dirty and wet in Jervis Bay and its surrounding bushland for Exercises like ‘Dardanelles,’ ‘Sunda Straights,’ ‘Matapan,’ or ‘Coral Sea,’ young trainee officers are exposed to an avalanche of information and many opportunities to put their training and skills of leadership and survival into practice.
The Creswell Chaplain has a privileged vantage point to witness and share in the formation of the Navy’s future leaders and commanders. From personal private moments assisting individuals to deal with issues, inside and outside of training, that impact on their morale and well-being, to more public moments of instructing trainees on values, ethics, world religions, deployment stress, life-skills and critical and life-threatening topics, the Chaplain can positively influence and guide our young Navy people.
The Chaplain in a ship like Creswell, I believe, is at his or her best when ever-present and ever-available to their shipmates. The chapel for worship is an important workplace for the Chaplain, but so is helping out in the galley, doing the rounds of the departments, offering encouragement, and where needed a helping hand or shoulder.
I spent some time with one 18 year old NEOC who was referred to me because he was adamant that he had made a mistake in joining the Navy and was also homesick. No trick or tactic employed by me or his chain-of-command seemed to work in convincing him to see his training through to graduation. We were resigned to him discharging as was his firm intent. Then surprisingly, he withdrew his request for discharge and had an incredible change of heart. Why? His attitude, confidence, and outlook were completely transformed by Exercise Dardanelles. Beyond his personal world that until then Navy drill and discipline were intruding upon, ‘Dardanelles’ introduced him to out-door skills and a selfless spirit of teamwork he had not really been challenged in to date, and yet on this occasion was met with a great maturing result.
The challenges of Navy training, whether at HMA Ships Cerberus, Albatross, Creswell or ongoing in so many other locations, in the case of the young NEOC above, and in so many others, works to mould and form our Navy people into extraordinarily skilled people, with altruistic values of helping mates and serving and protecting the people of Australia.
