After almost six-months at sea, HMAS Choules , has returned to her homeport of Garden Island, Sydney.
Commander Australian Fleet, Rear Admiral Tim Barrett, AM, CSC RAN and Commander Australian Surface Force, Commodore Jonathan Mead, AM RAN were on the wharf with family and friends to welcome the ship.
Rear Admiral Barrett congratulated the ship’s company on their commitment to Operation LANDSCAPE, which saw Choules deployed to Manus Island, Papua New Guinea.
“The crew under the leadership of Commander Ashley Papp have done an outstanding job supporting other government departments as part of the operation,” said Rear Admiral Barrett.
“ Choules has demonstrated her reliability as a platform and remains a modern, powerful and effective asset for the Australian Defence Force.”
Choules departed Cairns for Manus Island on 30 July and arrived at Manus Island on the 5 August. While deployed, she provided maritime support to Department of Immigration and Border Protection efforts to increase the capacity of the facilities on Manus Island.
The Landing Ship Dock provided a floating home to about 230 Australian Government personnel and service providers working on Manus Island.
Additionally, Choules ’ crew conducted a number of community engagement activities to assist with maintenance of community buildings.
The ship’s company will now proceed on leave, while Choules enters a short period of scheduled assisted maintenance.
[mappress] Press Release, November 12, 2013; Image: Australian Navy