Louise Rynnes day begins before sunrise. After a quick breakfast she is ready. She talks fast in a confident voice, when she answers the many questions the crew asks, when they meet her in the ship.
Louise Rynne is a lieutenant commander and the logistics officer on HDMS ABSALON.

For the first time she is participating in the big evacuation exercise NEO (Non-combatant Evacuation Operation). The exercise is a part of DANEX 07 and takes place on Bornholm. 300 persons have to be evacuated from the island.

They all need something to eat and to be safely returned to the harbour. It is Louise that is in charge of the extensive logistic tasks this windy Wednesday in late August.

The crew is tested
It is not just Louise that is busy today. The entire crew is busy with different tasks.

The crew is ready to receive evacuees.

-We expect to test the organisation of HDMS ABSALON and test if we are ready to receive such number of evacuees. We also have to test if we can manage helicopter and rubber dinghy operations at the same time. During NEO it is both the crew and our equipment that is tested, says Louise.

Louise is also tested. She has a lot to do as a logistics officer and on this day her walkie-talkie rattles non stop. People constantly need her in the FDO (Flight Deck Office), at the rubber dinghies or a third place on the ship.

Bad weather
Even though Louise has a big role on HDMS ABSALON during NEO she has not been nervous.

-It is a matter of good planning. The exercise is not dangerous or an exam. I don’t think that anyone on board has been nervous, but they have been excited to see how the organisation works, says Louise.

With good planning you can control many things, but the weather is not one of them. In the morning the sky is grey and the sea is heavy. Late in the afternoon Louise has to say stop. The waves are now so big that it is no longer safe to transport the figurants in rubber dinghies.

-We can not control the weather and this was the biggest challenge today. Safety first, says Louise.

HDMS ABSALON arrives at Rønne.  The unfortunates who did not  experience a trip in the rubber dinghy  got to see the ship anyway.

97 persons are evacuated before Louise says stop. Not to disappoint the figurants on land, they are driven in military vehicles and busses to Rønne Havn, where HDMS ABSALON will berth later in the evening.

68 persons enter the ship in Rønne, where they are served spaghetti Bolognese and get a tour round the ship.
The day ends late for Louise. She has not sat down all day, but she is in a very good mood:

-I think it went well considering it was the first time. The crew was fantastic. It was really positive.