Top student on Tactical Hydrography & Meteorology course

He was given the award by Commander Andy Swain MBE RN, Officer Commanding FOST HM, and presented with a precision Barometer, in finest HM tradition, by Mr Richard Elkington of British Aerospace Systems. 

Throughout the eight week course Lt Workman performed to a high standard, but in particular scored perfect marks on the three hour theory exam and achieved an official FOST VSAT overall during the practical elements.

The TACHM course is designed to professionally develop the HM officer from the ‘safe’ weather forecaster produced during the 18 week meteorology course to an environmental specialist able to deliver Tactical Exploitation of the Environment (TEE).

TEE is the process through which operational capability is enhanced by planning on environmental considerations instead of reacting to them.  Every TACHM student learns to fear the question: So What?

Students on the course face an Intelligent Preparation of the Environment (IPE) assignment delivering written and oral briefs, as well as Watch Keeping within the classroom for two weeks.

The assessment is based upon a complex warfare scenario where students are expected to brief TEE impacts on all spheres of warfare in both deep ocean and littoral environments, culminating in embarkation on a FF/DD with the PWO Advanced Phase Sea Week (APSW).

This allows TACHM students to provide real world input to Command within the FOST environment and get to grips with the reality of providing TEE afloat.  Something most students initially underestimate!

A HMO with the TACHM Adqual will then typically be assigned to the Fleet HM Unit (Devonport), supporting RN deployed operations on FF/DD platforms and occasionally ‘heavies’, or to the Maritime Aviation Support Force (MASF) who provide forecasting support to FAA embarked on RFA platforms.

In either case, the TACHM HMO will take the forecasting process one step further and provide enhanced environmental support to Command.