Posted on 10/02/2004 5:57:58 PM PDT by naturalman1975
TEN Royal Australian Navy personnel were welcomed home by family and friends today after eight months in Iraq training and rebuilding the country's maritime forces.
Based in the port of Umm Qasr, the Iraqi Coastal Defence Force Training Team played a key role in rehabilitating the Iraqi navy.
Working with other coalition partners including the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy and the Netherlands, the team trained the new Iraqi Coastal Defence Force (ICDF) to take over responsibility for policing its coastline and waterways in the Northern Arabian Gulf.
The ICDF will protect the ports of Umm Qasr and Az Zubayr, offshore installations and oil terminals, which generate between 85 to 95 per cent of Iraq's gross domestic product and are vital to the country's future.
As the sailors were met by overjoyed family and friends at Sydney Airport early today, the officer in charge of the team, Lieutenant Commander Terence Morrison, said they should feel pride in successfully completing an "extremely worthwhile endeavour".
"(The mission) can be held as a successful example of the positive presence the coalition is providing in Iraq," he said.
The Australians trained the ICDF officers and sailors to operate five patrol boats and other small vessels.
They also provided training in seamanship skills, fire fighting, damage control, engineering casualty control drills, gunnery and search and rescue.
Welcome home.
ping
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