Vincentian recruits sail through Royal Navy training

25.APR.08

Two recruits from St Vincent and the Grenadines were among the latest group of Royal Navy trainees to successfully complete initial training at HMS Raleigh in Cornwall.{{more}}

During a nine week intensive course, budding Logisticians Shemekar Bowens, aged 21, and Justin Simon, aged 23, have learned the basic skills they will rely upon throughout their time in the Royal Navy, including team work, fire fighting, seamanship and how to safely fire and handle a SA 80 rifle.

Both recruits embarked on their Royal Navy careers in January 2008 and are former pupils of St Vincent Community College.

Shemekar, from Kingstown, previously worked as a sales representative. She said: “It’s been my lifelong dream to serve in Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. Basic training is a course filled with its ups and downs, but overall its good fun.”

Justin is from Georgetown. Prior to joining the Royal Navy, he worked as a web designer. He said: I joined the Royal Navy to improve my standard of living, to help my family back at home, and most of all to give my daughter a better life than I had. Training was a challenge. It was remarkable. I got to do things that made me part of a great team.”

Having completed the first phase of their training, Shemekar and Justin will stay at HMS Raleigh for their specialist training within the Defence Maritime Logistics School. Here Shemekar will learn how to order and account for stores, equipment and other supplies, worth millions of pounds.

Once fully trained, she will be part of a team responsible for ensuring that Royal Navy’s ships have everything required onboard to carry out successful operations around the world. Justin will learn the skills required to enable him to join a team at sea, which specialises in providing official hospitality services and carrying out other key tasks necessary on a modern warship.

Around 65 new recruits from the length and breath of the country and abroad come to HMS Raleigh, the Royal Navy’s premier South West training establishment, each week to be transformed from civilians into sailors. HMS Raleigh also provides courses in submarine operations, logistics, weapons handling and seamanship for Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel, as well as staff from defence and maritime related industries and Armed Forces personnel from overseas.