A Small World: Australian, Malaysian Naval Officers Rekindle Friendship After Nearly 40 Years

KUANTAN, Malaysia (NNS) -- When Royal Australian Navy Capt. Mike Spruce stepped ashore in Kuantan for the Pacific Partnership 2016 opening ceremony, the last person he expected to see was an old friend in Rear Adm. Azhari Bin Adbul Rashid, commander, Naval District 1.

Spruce, the deputy mission commander for Pacific Partnership 2016, first met Rashid at HMAS Creswell in 1978 when both men were attending basic junior officers' navigation training. During their course, a young Midshipman Spruce and Midshipman Rashid spent several weeks at Creswell learning astro-navigation before moving to HMAS Watson for coastal navigation training. Once completed, the pair joined HMAS Jervis Bay for a navigation training cruise to New Zealand.

"You know it's a small world when you happen to just run into an old friend from nearly 40 years ago. We both looked at each other and said 'I know you,'" Spruce said.

Spruce was a member of the 1976 Creswell course when he was first introduced to the concept of working alongside foreign naval officers through the Foreign Officer Supplementary List Executive Course (FOSLEX) scheme.

"There were eight Papua New Guinea, two Philippine, two Malaysian and two Fijian officers on the course," he said. "Two that stood out particularly were Azhari Bin Adbul Rashid and a Fijian officer, Josaia 'Frank' Bainimarama, who later became the Fijian president (2006-2014)."

After the official opening of Pacific Partnership 2016 in Kuantan, Spruce and Rashid were able to reminisce about days past and the friendship they still share after not seeing each other for nearly 40 years.

"One thing that I love about the Navy is that when you make friends, they are friends for life," Spruce said. "Especially friendships you make under training."

According to Spruce, at the time you don't realize the importance of working with members of foreign militaries; however, it's later in life that you understand just how important training and forming those relationships can be.

"Meeting in Kuantan, for Pacific Partnership, after so long was like we had seen each other only a few weeks ago," he said. "That, is a lasting professional relationship and friendship."

Spruce and Rashid enjoyed many memories during the Pacific Partnership official lunch with Spruce confiding in a couple of those memories.

"I have a few good memories from that trip -- learning the finer arts of seamanship from WOQMG "Butch" Berry, watching the best game of rugby I have ever seen when the New Zealand Barbarians played a World XV rugby side at Eden Stadium in Auckland and finally, Bluff oysters," he said.

Pacific Partnership is a U.S. Pacific Fleet-led multinational activity that was born out of the response to the 2004 Tsunami which devastated many parts of Southeast Asia. An activity that over the past 11 years, has grown from providing direct humanitarian care to thousands of individuals throughout the region to a more knowledge exchange focused mission with in-depth planning, and a better understanding of what is needed, to provide the best possible combined support and response to any region affected by natural disasters. Australia has been an active participant every year since its inception.

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