Regina heads to the Far East
Melissa Atkinson
Editor
July 31, 2006
The old adage “join the navy and see the world” is taking shape for the sailors of HMCS Regina as the ship weighs anchor in Hawaii today and sails westward across the Pacific Ocean.
With the Rim of the Pacific exercise wrapped up, Regina is switching from a military role to a diplomatic one as it heads to the Far East for WestPloy (Western Deployment), a month-long visit to China, Japan and South Korea.
RAdm Roger Girouard, Commander Maritime Forces Pacific, says the deployment is a continuing effort by Canada to strengthen defence relations and support Canadian foreign policy interests with the Asia-Pacific community.
Ships from Maritime Forces Pacific have been deploying on the diplomatic mission for the last 10 years. This is Regina’s second WestPloy deployment in three years; it made the trip in 2004.
Admiral Girouard says measuring the success of relationship building by Canadian warships in the Far East is a challenge, but there is evidence these trips are working.
“There is no doubt we have become closer with some bilateral work with the Japanese navy in the past few years, and the fact that China’s PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) is sending their second group of senior staff to Canada for a visit and is considering a port call with several ships suggests to me there is payback to the efforts we have made to date,” he says.
Regina will participate in goodwill exercises at sea with naval forces of the host nations. Alongside, their schedule is filled playing host to trade delegations on board the ship, where Canadian companies will promote their products, and demonstrating Canadian technology and expertise by opening the ship to visitors.
“My crew will man the various systems on board and demonstrate how they work,” says Regina’s Commanding Officer, Cdr Joe Sipos. “When Regina was last in Shanghai, over 2,000 people visited the ship each day.”
Canadian culture and values will also be at the fore of the deployment. In Shanghai the ship’s company will visit an orphanage they &ldquoadopted&rdquo during their last trip to China, and present a donation collected through a number of innovative fund raising efforts.
“As well, we will host a delegation from the Chinese Special Olympics program. My ship’s company has already been in contact with the Canadian Special Olympics Committee to ask them for any messages of encouragement and goodwill they would like us to pass on to the Chinese delegation,” says Cdr Sipos.
On the menu for diplomatic receptions will be Canadian bison, Alberta beef, B.C. smoked salmon, Canadian wild rice and a variety of Canadian wines.
A game of hockey is scheduled with the Asian Ice Hockey Federation in Japan, and Regina is the host ship for a security seminar in Shanghai, to be attended by a number of high profile civilian and military security experts.Foreign affairs and regional military attachés will provide the necessary translation service.
Cdr Sipos says, as Regina transits to the region, crewmembers familiar with Asia Pacific will tutor their fellow sailors on various regional, cultural and behavioral expectations.
“In addition, we have a plan in place for more formal indoctrination from embassy staff and other experts prior to going ashore,” he says.
Before leaving Canada for Hawaii, the ship stocked up with gifts such as ship’s ball caps, medallions and plaques to hand out at each port.
“We also have an assortment of lovely hard covered photo books featuring Canadian landscapes, jars of Maple Syrup, B.C. smoked salmon in Native handcrafted cedar boxes, and an assortment of Canadian ice wines,” says Cdr Sipos. “My favorite gifts are the books on Canada. I have already presented one to the Captain of a Chilean ship we are working with in Hawaii, and he was so struck by the beauty of Canada that he plans on vacationing here with his family in the future.”
The Admiral will fly from port to port and rendezvous with the ship for day sails and receptions.
“This allows me to make use of time ashore doing a bit more outreach, while Regina’s CO continues to enjoy the luxury of a ‘private ship&rsquo,” he says.
RAdm Girouard will make full use of interpreters as he meets high-ranking naval officers and dignitaries from the three Asia-Pacific nations.“The format in Asia can be a bit formal at times, and interpreters require that everyone each speak in turn, but the great common denominator I always seek to come back to is the fact that we are mariners and professionals at sea, with much in common and much to share,” he says.
This is Cdr Sipos first trip to the area and he considers it a trip of a life time for both himself and his crew.
“WestPloy is very important to my crew, both personally and professionally. It allows them to experience the different cultures of Asian countries and to understand better how and why countries in that region do what they do. In other words, it gives them a practical education through an up-close and personal perspective on life in China, Japan and Korea that they might not otherwise gain. Importantly, by working and socializing with sailors from these countries, friendship and trust is developed at all levels, and that is a very important part of building professional relations between our navies, and ultimately, between our countries.”
