Naval Gazing!
Naval Gazing - VCAL Excursion
On Tuesday, the 5th of September at 9:15am, Mount Eliza students from year 10 and VCAL were invited to attend a tour and to be given information about our Victorian HMAS Cerberus naval base.
1. Tour Beginning.
We started off with a speech briefly about where we were going to be visiting and what our day was planned to look like.
Firstly, the Tour of RAN Recruit school.
We learned that all new enlistment sailors (regardless of trade choice) complete eleven weeks of foundation training before progressing to their respective trade schools. The new enlistments stay in the navy base in their given rooms in one building. They are set out to train hard at the Royal Australian Navy standard until their training is completed.
2. Tour of ADF Physical Training Instructor School / Sports and Recreational Facility
This facility has state of the art electronic fitness equipment: gymnasium, indoor Olympic heated pool, weights room, cross training and boxercise equipment, squash courts and outdoor confidence courses (high and low ropes, abseiling and obstacle course).
3. Tour of School of Survivability and Ships Safety
This part of the tour was really interesting and quite fascinating with how they set up the whole course. Recruits are trained to safely fight all classes of fire, how to use fire fighting equipment, protective suits and breathing apparatus. Recruits are trained in methods of Ships Safety how to shore and control flooding to protect the ship. Seeing the buildings up close and seeing the water flooding inside of the facility made it all seem so real.
4. Lunch at the Junior Sailors Galley (Main Cafeteria)
The main cafeteria prepares approx 800 meals for each meal session. The meals we were given were a variety of different pastas, rice, salads and individual snacks like crumbed fish and slices.
5. Tour Seamanship School (Boatswains Faculty)
Seamanship Schools provides sailors the skills and knowledge to work with ropes to tow vessels, refuel ships at sea, maintain survival equipment, qualifications to drive small boats, and handle all RAN hand weapons.
6. Tour of Marine Engineering Demonstration Building
Marine Engineering Faculty is the largest school at Cerberus, where sailors are trained in all areas of diesel mechanics and maintenance.
7. Weapons Training Simulation System
This can be likened to a laser rifle gallery with 10 lanes with video targets. The machinery were life like and held as if they were real.
8. Defence Force Recruiting Presentation - Southern Cross Cinema.
Lastly we were given a presentation full of information and a chance to ask any questions regarding the Navy base as well as our queries with joining later on. R
Overall this experience and opportunity was really intriguing. We all learnt a lot about a subject we’ve only really heard about. It was educational and we would recommend this tour to anyone who is wanting to know or even thinking about their future within this force 100%.
By Bethany Becsi
Intermediate VCAL