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With the echo of the ship’s pipe still ringing through the steel hallway, the dayshift crew of Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Charlottetown and 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron began Exercise SALTY DIP.
The exercise commenced when HMCS Charlottetown set sail from CFB Halifax. The purpose of the exercise was to train and prepare the ship's personnel and the aircrew detachment from 12 Wing Shearwater, N.S., for the upcoming TGEX08 - a bi-annual, four-week exercise involving naval craft from Canada and the United States.
“Exercise SALTY DIP is an opportunity to introduce our newer aircrew members to an authentic maritime aviation environment,” stated Colonel Bruce Ploughman, 12 Wing Commander, “It also gives them a chance to meet our naval counterparts.”
Exercise SALTY DIP involved preparatory training for all ship personnel and aircrew training and proficiency checks for CH124 Sea King Helicopter operations. Additional activities included routine and preventive maintenance of ship equipment, numerous safety presentations and a surface fire exercise that saw several 57 mm rounds fired from the ship's Bofor Gun, located on the bow of the ship.
Deployments on HMC Ships can range from several days to months at a time. While members must endure certain sacrifices, such as being away from their families and living in confined spaces, there's nothing like experiencing the nuance of docking at a foreign port and the feel of the cool ocean spray each morning.
HMCS Charlottetown departed for the coast of Virginia on November 10 to begin TGEX08 and returned December 5.
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