Wildfire troops continue to support overseas operations

Lt Tracy MacSephney who in civilian life works for the Foreign Office was mobilised last year to be the second officer in charge of UKMTO. Shortly afterwards Lt Cdr Goodes was mobilised as the Officer in Charge.

At Christmas, another of Wildfires officers, in fact the Unit’s XO, Lt Cdr Stephanie Shinner, headed off east to keep up the work and replaced Lt Tracy MacSephney. Lt Cdr Shinner will be in the role until this summer when Lt Dunn also from Wildfire takes up the post.

UKMTO is the main point of contact between the merchant shipping community and the military organisations including EUNAVFOR (European Naval Force), NATO and CMF (Combined Maritime Force). It is operational 24hours a day, 7 days a week

It operates a voluntary reporting scheme which means that merchant ships entering the high risk area are able to contact UKMTO and provide their position, course, speed, destination and other vital information which enables UKMTO to monitor their progress throughout the high risk area. Once inside the high risk area the merchant ships will contact UKMTO every day to provide updates of their position.

They will also phone UKMTO if they see anything suspicious, if they are being approached by pirates or worse if they are being attacked. The UKMTO operators will deal will all incoming calls and try to assist the merchant shipping community by providing advice and guidance over the phone. The operators will also contact the military to alert them to piracy incidents and will remain in constant communication with the merchant ship while the military plans and actions support.

It’s not only the officers that have been busy mobilising from the unit, over the last few years, almost all members of the WarSea Res branch have been mobilised to a force protection role and 100% of their logistics branch have been mobilised. By the end of 2012, almost every officer in the unit will have also completed a mobilisation.

Cdr Ant Chapman, Commanding Officer of HMS Wildfire said:

“I am hugely proud of the work done by all of my Ship’s Company but am especially grateful to all that have mobilised in support of current operations.

"I am also delighted that Wildfire is providing such a large proportion of the personnel involved in the vital work being undertaken by the UKMTO”

So whilst Wildfire may not be the biggest reserve unit, it certainly has, and continues to make a huge impact in supporting operations overseas.