HMAS Choules has played host to 18 members of the Maritime Element of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force.
The officers and sailors joined the ship for the passage between the PNG capital of Port Moresby to the Lombrum Naval Base, HMPNGS Tarangau, in Manus Province.
Throughout the transit, the group had the opportunity to gain some valuable life at sea experiences including ship tours, safety equipment demonstrations and an aviation familiarisation with the ships embarked MRH90 helicopter.
They not only got to experience a flight in the aircraft; but were also afforded the opportunity to be winched back down to the flight deck.
For many of the group it was their first time on an Australian Warship at sea as well as the first time they had flown in a helicopter. The opportunity to live amongst the ship’s company and join in with messdeck recreational activities and participate alongside the crew in daily physical training activities saw many new friendships formed.
Ordinary Seaman Douglas Warkaul, a marine technician from West New Britain, said his time on board Choules has been very exciting.
“I have learned lots about safety at sea and the overall way of life in a large ship,” Seaman Warkaul said.
"I have enjoyed talking with the crew across the different departments and learning how their roles are performed onboard.
“Doing physical training activities whilst at sea was a new concept to me, but very enjoyable to do while making new friends.
“The ship’s hospitality has been excellent, and I would like to personally thank our Australian counterparts for their support and generosity for having us onboard and creating the many opportunities we all experienced.”
Australia and PNG have a long history of partnership built on historical and deep community links. Our Defence Forces often work and train alongside each other providing interoperability and capacity building through cooperation.
Choules executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Aaron Convery, said sea-riding opportunities like this one, benefits the individual and their respective Navy.
“Whenever we can spend time creating these moments for our regional defence partners, it allows them to experience the many differences in procedures and systems between our two nations,” he said.
“These experiences become very important when our Defence Forces have to work together in a real-life situations.”
HMAS Choules deployment to the South-West Pacific region will further facilitate an enhanced program of training activities and exercises. The deployment supports the development and interoperability with regional Pacific Island security forces.
(Royal Australian Navy sailor, leading seaman aviation technician avionics, Anthony Nightingale, conducts an Alpha 400 helmet fit on Ordinary Seaman Morris Endo of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force Maritime Element onboard HMAS Choules)
