Choules wraps her Pacific mission

After three months supporting Exercise Pacific Partnership, HMAS Choules returns home from deployment supporting humanitarian assistance activities and strengthening interoperability with regional partners.

The Bay-class landing ship dock departed Sydney in mid-June as the command, control and logistics platform for the humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness mission.

While deployed, Choules sailed throughout the South China Sea and the wider Indo-Pacific to support Australia’s partners and allies in the execution of their mission goals.

ADF personnel shared their skills and experiences with international partners, working together on board Choules and ashore during port visits. Personnel engaged with local schools and contributed to construction and restoration activities, strengthening relationships.

Embarked Maritime Operational Health Unit member LEUT Elliot Heeney said contributing to communities across the region has been a realised goal.

“As a medical professional, going out into the Pacific region to help our neighbours was a big part of the reason why I joined up in the first place,” LEUT Heeney said.

“Even though my job in Sibolga and Kota Kinabalu wasn’t directly medical, it still very much aligns with why I'm in Defence.”

Getting personnel ashore was an operation in itself.

The ship's embarked Army contingent and boatswain's mates used Choules' light landing craft (LLC) and RHIBs to transfer personnel to shore while the ship remained at anchor. PO William Law was part of the LLC crew that transferred Pacific Partnership personnel during the initial arrival in Sibolga, Indonesia.

“For some of the people we took ashore, it was their first time on an LLC or a RHIB, let alone landing in a foreign country, so it was quite a bit of fun seeing it through their eyes,” PO Law said.

Throughout the deployment, LS Taylor Zugna and the rest of the Choules catering team rose to the challenge of feeding about 300 personnel three meals a day.

“The galley has definitely been busy over this deployment with so many people embarked, but this is also the privilege of being aboard Choules and meeting so many different people,” LS Zugna said.

As Choules returns home, the ship’s company will reunite with their loved ones at Fleet Base East in Sydney. With the ship's deployment at an end, CO Choules CMDR Paul Hardman has his eyes firmly set on the future.

“It’s going to be great getting everybody home for some well-earned rest,” CMDR Hardman said.

“The ship will then undergo maintenance while the crew undertakes additional training to ensure we are fully mission ready for whatever comes next for Choules."