24 NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 2010
‘If someone tests positive w
Picture: Mike Gray
Continued from p23marina
Cornwall, Cdr Johnny Ley.
“So it’s in everybody’s interest to
“If someone tests positive we
be on form – everyone knows that
want them out of here,” he declared
the biggest catastrophe can happen
as the CDT team worked their way
from the smallest mishap.”
through his ship’s company.
It is not just ships on deployment
“That is the rule and they know
which catch their eye, of course.
it.”
In the weeks before Christmas
CPO Paddy McMonagle said his
they sailed with HMS Illustrious
shipmates were generally unfazed
from Liverpool to Portsmouth,
by the visit.
carrying out almost 420 tests.
“I have been in 24 years, and I’ve
They may decide to visit a ship
been through this a few times now,”
in her home port, or even while it is
he said.
still in build – HMS Ambush hosted
“It is not a problem – unless you
the pair in Barrow in November.
have done something and are really
Shore bases are fair game as senior rates and officers.
worried about it.
well; they did almost 600 green “Having said that, the rate of
“You might drink, but you don’t
berets at RM Condor in Arbroath positive results is about 0.4 per
do drugs and those sorts of things.
in December, followed by a visit to cent, which compares very well with
You have too much to lose.
HMS Nelson in Portsmouth. the rate of drug misuse in the
“Even the young lads and lasses
And sailors working with units general population.”
on board, they do not bother about
of the other Services are not So what becomes of those who
it.
● Donor AB(CIS) Kate Wynne (centre)
immune, as CDT teams from all fail the test? “I have got two little kids, and the
monitoring the heads during testing
three branches can test any military “The presumption is that if you drugs side of things frightens me.
personnel, not just ‘their own’. test positive, you will be out,” said “There is a lot of banter in the
is regarded as a serious offence, try
“CDT data over previous years Dave. mess, but this is a job that has to
and those who snub the CDT sam
suggests that every visit to a larger In stark terms, those who fail be done and we have got to be
team will be shown the door just as
unit will yield at least one or perhaps will be booted out of the Navy clean.”
quickly as those who took the test int
two positive results,” said Dave. in fairly short order – and that And it is not only those who fail
and failed. tes
“The main at-risk age group is is how it should be, according to the test who will find themselves in
Finally, those who try to help an tha
the 18 to 24-year-olds, junior rates, the Commanding Officer of HMS hot water – refusal to take the test
oppo avoid detection, perhaps by aff
● All quiet in Grand Harbour – HMS Cornwall alongside in Malta, a
far cry from the bustling naval port of the last century
CPO Mick Kingston (right) briefs the junior rate monitors on the ● ● WO Dave Pottle (white shirt) briefs his senior rate collecting ●
assistants paperwork they are required to fi ll in pa
‘You are not willy-watchers. If you can
THE streets of Sliema were officer are usually informed in embarrassing leaks), sterile wipes containing a beaker, a tube and two on
still quiet as the CDT team
advance, and the executive warrant and piles of papers – the test has bottles, and took the beaker to the
hopped into their taxi early on a
officer told on the day itself. to be legally sound, so everything heads, accompanied by Shabaka. cou
Saturday morning.
The brow is closed to all but those is checked, cross-checked and As Piggy produced the required wo
As is their custom, the team had
with urgent business ashore. “You checked again. sample, Shabaka stood at the open sub
arrived a day or so beforehand
have got to be realistic – if people “This is an official procedure, and cubicle door, with the donor in his
to make sure HMS Cornwall was
have prior commitments, those have attention to detail is important,” peripheral vision. an
where she should be and to get an
to be honoured,” said Dave. said Mick. This ensured some privacy – as cou
early start.
“We will catch up with them
Once everything is in place
Mick told his monitors: “We are not tw
They had also laid low the evening
when they return to the ship. We can
there is a dry (or rather, wet)
willy-watchers. If you can see naked Ch
before, making sure any sailors from
wait all day, if necessary...”
run to show how it should go.
flesh you are too close...” ove
the frigate would not see them
Once the necessary introductions The temperature of the sample co
during a run ashore – “and, let’s
and formalities are completed, the HMS Cornwall’s guinea pig was was checked by the monitor using a slo
face it, matelots do stand out like a
people who carry out the testing are a guinea piggy – LLogs (CS(P)) heat-sensitive strip on the beaker.
sore thumb...” said Dave.
drawn together – the procedure is Piggy Davies, monitored by AB This ensures a sample taken as
The taxi dropped Dave and Mick
supervised by the CDT team but Shabaka Kenyatta. earlier and stored outside the body Ian
at the jetty, leaving them just a short
the actual testing is almost all done Approaching the collecting is not used; it would be too cold to art
walk to the brow with their bulky
by the ship’s company. assistant’s desk, Piggy was asked to register a temperature. ne
bags of testing kits.
With invaluable input from roll up his sleeves and remove any Piggy then returned with his him
Such material is usually stowed
Cornwall’s EWO, WO Trev watches and rings, ensuring there beaker to the desk and decanted it
on board before the deployment, but
Trevarthen, the seven collecting was nowhere to hide chemicals or into the bottles and tube, which are ha
in this case the frigate’s programme
assistants (senior rates) gather for materials which could affect the test. checked for leaks and wiped down tha
had changed at short notice. Dave to brief while the 18 monitors
The procedure and its legal by the donor.
The CDT team do not have to (junior rates) and two leading hands
implications were outlined to Piggy, Barcoded anti-tamper strips, tha
warn a ship of their impending to oversee the monitors listen to and he was asked if he had taken initialled by the donor, seal the lids, de
visit, but both as a courtesy and Mick in a nearby mess. any medicine in the past few days and the samples and paperwork are be
to help with the procedure – A row of desks is set up for the which could show up in the test. all placed in a bag.
● Collecting assistants are kept busy as they take donors through
which is manpower intensive – the collecting assistants, complete with Having produced his identity Once the donor is happy that ho
the administrative procedures of the drugs test
commanding officer and executive bin bags, absorbent paper (for those card, he opened up a sealed bag all is in order, the donor is entered of
023-025_NN_feb.indd 2 20/1/10 16:44:06
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