14 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2009
On tthe ttwelve ddays o of
Christmas......
ON the twelve days of Christmas, as,
HMS Portland gave to me: 12 lads ds
a’leaping, 11 ladies RASing, tenten
WAFUs prepping, nine officerss
serving, eight boats a’boarding,
seven chefs a’firefighting, six
guys a’pulling, five green berets,
four swimmers swimming, three
PT sessions, two COs and a
warship away at sea.
All right, for artistic licence we hard
might well have played fast and to make e
loose with the numbers in that sure thathat
rendition. However it does give we can
you a melodic idea of how busy operate by day a n d
HMS Portland has been over night in most weathers and
the festive period on patrol in against all types of vessels – not
the Gulf of Aden and around the only here in the Gulf of Aden but
Horn of Africa. anywhere that the Royal Navy
The frigate exited the Suez might be tasked to operate.
Canal at the end of November, “The RN, along with other
and began her work with CTF navies, plays a key role in
150 operating around the Red keeping our seaways open for
Sea before heading over to her legitimate trade. Portland’s
regular patrol area. boarding party is one small part
Her role? The steadfast of the team that makes this
guardian of the seas, warning off work.”
narcotics and arms smugglers, With Christmas upon them,
watching out for people the tempo of life on board kept
traffickers, and defending fellow apace, with the ship maintaining
vessels from the attacks of her duties watching over the
pirates. vessels and aircraft in her
Piracy is something of a forté patch, ready for a call for help
for the men and women of HMS or rescue.
Portland, as they were the first The traditional joys of
to undergo an enhanced counter Christmas Day – a carol service –
piracy training package from the were counterbalanced by some
FOSTies before they set off. unusual activities – a hands to
Boarding officer Lt Steve bathe followed by a barbecued
Patton said: “We have trained Christmas lunch, served in good
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