TAMW guru ‘old target’ for young guns
30 July 2010
CPO Graham Body is only fifty but he can call upon 35-years experience as a graduate from the ‘school of hard knocks’ whenever he is required to help young sailors to come to grips with their essential seamanship and basic training.
As the Boarding Party Instructor – TAMW-West, CPO Body is well suited for the challenge of training sailors and submariners of Fleet Base West in boarding operations, small boat coxswain courses, jet-RHIB courses, initial weapon training and escalation of force including baton and self-defence training.
This is a mighty big ask for one senior sailor, but CPO Body loves the challenge involved and gains a lot of self-satisfaction helping sailors enhance their basic skills and qualifications.
“I train more than 500 sailors per year on a very ad-hoc basis because often there is only time when the ships are alongside for a period of maintenance,” he said.
CPO Body also provides initial training for the small boats in the form of the coxswain’s course.
“The RAN Smallboats Coxswain’s course for the 7.2metre RHIB spans seven days and covers all the basics including handling skills which should prepare sailors to drive boats at sea,” he said.
“This training greatly benefits the sailors who operate the RHIBs deployed on FFHs, LCHs and ACPBs.”
CPO Body also conducts initial weapons training for sailors so they are qualified and can safely and confidently handle the F88 Steyr, the F89 Minimi, the Remington shotgun and the Browning 9mm pistol.
“I also assess sailors on their competency with the 50-calibre Machine Gun during their pre-deployment work ups,” he said.
CPO Body has seen a lot of sailors benefit from the training program, which has reduced the requirement for instructors from HMAS Cerberus to come to Stirling to conduct training or re-fresher courses, which marks a significant cost-saving.
“The volume of training requests reflects the large amount of training that is required by ships and submarines based in the west,” he said.
CPO Body said his biggest challenge is conducting the boarding operations training course.
“The course spans two weeks; you begin with people who basically have no idea, but by the end you see them walk away as a confident and capable boarding team, ready to do their job at sea,” he said.
“This is a very satisfying aspect of the job, which encourages me to keep going in the Navy for a few more years yet.”
