Publication:The Fearless Times Issue 1 2009/Handover At Sea With HMAS Warramunga
HMAS Toowoomba took the weight, as the RAN unit deployed to the Middle East for Operation SLIPPER after a brief handover from HMAS Warramunga on the forenoon of Monday 22nd June 2009 in the Arabian Sea near to the coast of Oman. We will now be patrolling in a new extended Area of Operations which includes the Central and Southern Arabian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, the sea in proximity to the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea until the end of the year. This will have us contributing to Task Force 152 Maritime Support Operations (MSO) and "Fearless" will be the first RAN ship to participate in Task Force 150 Counter Terrorism Operations and Task Force 151 Counter Piracy Operations. So look out all ye dirty rotten scoundrels and scallywags running amok – there's a new sheriff in town.
Just prior to our handover we paid a brief logistic visit to Diego Garcia, which is an island considered the largest atoll of the Chagos Archipelago, and is part of the British Indian Ocean Territories. The handover with Warramunga was completed during a three hour period. Which really isn't very long is it? They seemed pretty keen to get home for some reason and good luck to them too.
The meeting also provided a brief but emotional reunion for two Navy couples. LSMT Chad Freund and ABET Scott Zanevra both from Warramunga got the chance to catch up with their respective partners in Toowoomba, LSCSO Toyah Nicholas and ABET Samantha Whitfield. Both couples took the opportunity to spend just a little time together, emphasis on the little, given that having already had six months apart this year, they won't get to see each other again until we return home at Christmas. What a reunion that will be I'm sure! At least they'll be all cashed up and suffice to say they deserve every cent that's for sure.
Incidentally there was actually no weight to take. Due to our tasking being entirely new Toowoomba will have the honour of designing and making a new weight which we will hand over to HMAS Stuart later in the year.
