Collin
January 4th, 2006, 23:00
Civil Sea Service
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Source: MoD News Site
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Commodore Bob Thornton is at the helm of the civilian Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and applauds the service as it marks 100 years.
AFTER three years at nautical school, and at the very young age of 16, I joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1969. Apart from a brief spell out of the service during the early 1970s, I am pleased to say that I have served with the RFA ever since. Why did I leave for a while? Well, it was at a time when I had fallen in love with the girl who was to become my wife and, like most sailors, I felt the need to be rather closer to home. My time outside the RFA was spent in the recovery of marine aggregates – a term I used often, as it sounded better than "dredging" to a prospective father-in-law.
Following my return in 1975, I increased my experience in all types of RFA ships and made it to Captain 20 years later.It was a real thrill to take command of my first ship and, although she is now retired, I will always have very fond memories of Sir Percival. From the milk run between Marchwood and Antwerp, to putting her onto the beach during winter exercises in Norway, every day was great. I look back with equal fondness on Argus, my last ship as a captain, because it was in 2000 that I came ashore and took responsibility for RFA manpower and training.I have always wanted to see the RFA and our people reach their full potential and have been pleased to work ashore in management jobs on a number of occasions during my career.
I was delighted to be promoted to Commodore in 2003, after completing a master’s degree in defence administration at Shrivenham, and now find myself in the position where I am charged with leading that development. This is the centenary year of the RFA. Over the past 100 years we have become a relatively poorly understood hybrid, positioned somewhere between the Merchant Navy, the Royal Navy and the Civil Service. We have, however, come a long way from supplying bags of coal to warships in harbour.
Today we provide not only front-line logistic support, but also a good deal of military capability. In fact, the greatest change I have seen since I joined the service in 1969 has been the blurring of the line between the RFA and the Royal Navy. When Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram were attacked in the Falklands War of 1982 it was a seminal moment for us. It changed the way we went about organising and defending ourselves.
My seafarers are now trained to direct, man and operate close range weapons and off-board decoys. But the real questions revolve around their status as they deliver ever more military capability. I hasten to add that there is nothing wrong with the status of the ships; it is the definition of my people as "civilians operating in direct support as non-combatants" that troubles us.
The answer lies in the adoption of "sponsored reserve status", because that is the key to their proper status in international law. I want to see this introduced next year and am currently engaged in negotiations to make it happen. I doubt if my people in the RFA will notice the difference. They will just carry on doing what they already do very well. But it will mark a sea-change in our ethos and it will more clearly define our position close alongside the Royal Navy.
From here, we can develop the RFA Service in the true context of a military environment, because, after all, that is our business. I expect to retire in three years time at the age of 55 and will do so with many unforgettable experiences to cherish. I have been in awe of the vastness of the universe, gazing up at a billion stars on a clear night off South Africa. I have seen marine bioluminescence in patterns so bright that I could read a book at night by its light.
I have also been humbled by the remarkable power of nature. I have stood on the bridge wing of a ship 50 feet above the waterline as it plunged into the trough of an Atlantic storm wave and looked up at the crest of the next huge wave.You cannot forget such experiences. Nor can you forget the contribution made by the people of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
This article appears in this month's edition of FOCUS - the newspaper for people in defence
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Source: MoD News Site
http://www.modoracle.com/news/Files/file9874.jpghttp://www.modoracle.com/images/shim.gif
Commodore Bob Thornton is at the helm of the civilian Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and applauds the service as it marks 100 years.
AFTER three years at nautical school, and at the very young age of 16, I joined the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in 1969. Apart from a brief spell out of the service during the early 1970s, I am pleased to say that I have served with the RFA ever since. Why did I leave for a while? Well, it was at a time when I had fallen in love with the girl who was to become my wife and, like most sailors, I felt the need to be rather closer to home. My time outside the RFA was spent in the recovery of marine aggregates – a term I used often, as it sounded better than "dredging" to a prospective father-in-law.
Following my return in 1975, I increased my experience in all types of RFA ships and made it to Captain 20 years later.It was a real thrill to take command of my first ship and, although she is now retired, I will always have very fond memories of Sir Percival. From the milk run between Marchwood and Antwerp, to putting her onto the beach during winter exercises in Norway, every day was great. I look back with equal fondness on Argus, my last ship as a captain, because it was in 2000 that I came ashore and took responsibility for RFA manpower and training.I have always wanted to see the RFA and our people reach their full potential and have been pleased to work ashore in management jobs on a number of occasions during my career.
I was delighted to be promoted to Commodore in 2003, after completing a master’s degree in defence administration at Shrivenham, and now find myself in the position where I am charged with leading that development. This is the centenary year of the RFA. Over the past 100 years we have become a relatively poorly understood hybrid, positioned somewhere between the Merchant Navy, the Royal Navy and the Civil Service. We have, however, come a long way from supplying bags of coal to warships in harbour.
Today we provide not only front-line logistic support, but also a good deal of military capability. In fact, the greatest change I have seen since I joined the service in 1969 has been the blurring of the line between the RFA and the Royal Navy. When Sir Galahad and Sir Tristram were attacked in the Falklands War of 1982 it was a seminal moment for us. It changed the way we went about organising and defending ourselves.
My seafarers are now trained to direct, man and operate close range weapons and off-board decoys. But the real questions revolve around their status as they deliver ever more military capability. I hasten to add that there is nothing wrong with the status of the ships; it is the definition of my people as "civilians operating in direct support as non-combatants" that troubles us.
The answer lies in the adoption of "sponsored reserve status", because that is the key to their proper status in international law. I want to see this introduced next year and am currently engaged in negotiations to make it happen. I doubt if my people in the RFA will notice the difference. They will just carry on doing what they already do very well. But it will mark a sea-change in our ethos and it will more clearly define our position close alongside the Royal Navy.
From here, we can develop the RFA Service in the true context of a military environment, because, after all, that is our business. I expect to retire in three years time at the age of 55 and will do so with many unforgettable experiences to cherish. I have been in awe of the vastness of the universe, gazing up at a billion stars on a clear night off South Africa. I have seen marine bioluminescence in patterns so bright that I could read a book at night by its light.
I have also been humbled by the remarkable power of nature. I have stood on the bridge wing of a ship 50 feet above the waterline as it plunged into the trough of an Atlantic storm wave and looked up at the crest of the next huge wave.You cannot forget such experiences. Nor can you forget the contribution made by the people of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.
This article appears in this month's edition of FOCUS - the newspaper for people in defence