Publication:Newcastle News Issue 1 2009/Message From The CO
Dear Family and Friends,
It has been a whirlwind seven months for HMAS Newcastle and your loved ones. Although predominantly focused on contractor and ship qualification trials following the upgrade last year, we have managed to fit in port visits to Melbourne and Brisbane, the Fleet Entry and Fleet Review, a couple of periods of training facilitated by the Australian Fleet Sea Training Group, an intense Warfare Assessment Week and, as I write, the ship is half way through TALISMAN SABER 2009 (TS09). TS09 is a major bilateral exercise conducted with US forces every two years. It has provided us the opportunity to integrate into a US Navy Expeditionary Strike Group, some photos of which are included in the Newsletter. However, right now there are some tired people onboard.
Throughout the last six months, the Newcastle team has come together and is capitalising on all of these opportunities to develop our professionalism. We have acknowledged our peers who have performed in an exemplary manner through the reinvigorated Sailor of the Quarter awards (SOTQ). My congratulations once again to AB Combat System Operator Jane Miles as the first quarter SOTQ and AB Electronic Technician Tim Sangster as the second quarter SOTQ award. They are but two examples of the high quality of people with which your loved ones serve.
A recent schedule change has the ship remaining on the east coast, weekly running right through until late September when we head north again to support the Long Navigation course off Cairns, Mackay and Brisbane. We are planning for a families cruise from Brisbane to Sydney 19-22 October 2009, during which I hope to meet many of you, our supporting families. More information will follow.
Warm regards,
Justin Jones.
