Publication:Navy Annual 2005/Personal Experiences of LONG LOOK 2004
BY LIEUTENANT SARAH HUNWICKS, ROYAL NAVY - LONG LOOK 2004
"Here for a good time, not a long time - all play and not a lot of work!" That's the impression I'd had of the Exchange Program LONG LOOK before I experienced it for myself. Although the truth in that statement depends very much on your host unit and their approach to the exchange, I was lucky enough to have a very well-balanced experience, combining both professional and recreational "good times"!
After 18 months at Britannia royal Naval College, (BRNC) Dartmouth in varying staff roles, I was offered the opportunity to swap jobs for four months with a Divisional Officer for the New Entry Officers' Course at the royal Australian Naval College (RANC) based at HMAS Creswell, and accepted without hesitation. I knew nothing of the place or its location and was happy to find it on the edge of a stunningly beautiful bay three hours drive south of Sydney (white sand, blue water - need I say any more?). I joined my Division four weeks before their graduation and, from that time, my feet barely touched the ground as I accompanied them in a whirl of small arms training, leadership exercises in "the bush", social functions, and ceremonial occasions, not to mention writing 24 individual reports! trying to get to grips with their way of doing things at the busy end of the course, and dealing with the usual divisional issues such as resignations and under-achievers, meant that I realised early on that this was no holiday. Fortunately, as i waved them off to their professional courses, things calmed down a little and, rather than be assigned another division, I was given the task of helping write some course documentation which allowed me more flexibility to manage my work load.
And so followed three months of mixing a desk job with a wider look at the RAN such as Fleet Base East, a Passing Out Parade at the royal Australian Navy, and a look around HMAS Stirling in Rockingham, Western Australia Fleet Base West. I was assigned as staff to a bush walking expedition for a day and for three days in a tall ship with the Junior Officers' leadership Course. I gave a presentation on training at BRNC, which provoked a great deal of interest and discussion. I was also given the opportunity to help redesign some of their leadership exercises - a subject close to my heart after so many weeks spent on Dartmoor! On top of all the professional stuff there was, of course, a little leave to be taken, and I was lucky enough to have three weeks to explore - nowhere near enough to see much of such a vast country, but I made a good start!
However, I reckon I both gained and contributed most at "stand easys" when, over a cup of tea (it always made them chuckle that I still drank tea whilst they drank their skinny lattes, cappuccinos, long blacks, short flat whites etc), we talked about the differences in our administration, training and operational systems, culture, sport, politics, attitudes etc. I might add that i took a lot of "Pommie bashing" during the Olympics, but I always had the rugby world cup in my back pocket! It was hard work at times, but the professional and personal benefits were invaluable. Not only did it broaden my professional outlook and facilitate the exchange of ideas between the two colleges, the break from my normal career path certainly put everything into a good perspective and, in my opinion, that's a worthwhile investment in itself on the royal Navy's part. And now I'm fluent in Australian - too easy mate!
