On November 18, 1967, Private First Class Sammy Davis, wounded and under intense enemy fire, crossed a river to rescue three wounded soldiers near Cai Lay, Vietnam. On November 19, 1968, Davis received the Medal of Honor. The footage from that day as well as Davis’s citation were used as source materials for the film Forrest Gump.
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It is essential for the community to know the true “cost” of going to war, argues Ian McPhedran. Source: The Daily Telegraph
THE Gillard Government and our military top brass want Australians to believe that our casualties in Afghanistan all die quiet, dignified deaths surrounded by their mates.
The truth is somewhat different.
Frantic efforts are made to save them and then deliver them to a field hospital where dedicated surgeons fight valiantly to mend bodies torn apart by high-powered rounds or high explosive.
So, to have every casualty reported in the same predictable, sanitised terms defies credibility and demeans their sacrifice.
The public now seldom hears the real story. That’s because the Government has abandoned its commitment to tell us the full human costs of going to war.
In February 2010 then Defence Minister John Faulkner delivered an extraordinary speech at a CEW Bean Foundation dinner in Canberra.
“If history teaches us anything it is that the only way to secure the public support so critical to a democracy’s military power is to be as transparent and accountable as military exigencies permit,” he said.
“For the first time, the Parliament and the Australian people will be given regular reports about ADF casualties.
“When the Australian Government commits Australian forces, we put Australian lives at risk, and exercise potentially often actually lethal force in the name of the Australian community. It is essential therefore that the community knows not only the reasons, but also the costs of such action.”
As citizens of a robust and free democracy Australians have a right to know at least some of the grim reality
The speech was music to the ears of correspondents who had spent years fighting against a secretive Australian military for greater access to information.
Fast forward 30 months and we have a new defence minister who has a very different approach to transparency.
Stephen Smith spends a lot of time talking, but says very little of substance.
A regular on ABC Radio and Sky News, the mountains of transcripts he generates reveal a master of the endless stream of gibberish.
As public opinion against the war in Afghanistan moves above 60 per cent, Smith has seen fit to implement a policy of censorship contrary to most of what his predecessor said 30 months ago.
He claims that the families of soldiers killed in Afghanistan should not be subjected to the extra grief that a public airing of official reports into the deaths of their loved ones would generate.
Since Smith took over even the heavily censored official reports into the fatalities are kept secret.
No one wants grieving families subjected to any unnecessary heartache, but Faulkner was right when he said it was essential for the community to know the true “cost” of going to war.
When a soldier dies in battle they die a violent and horrible death. With luck it is quick, but it is seldom clean.
This is the reality of combat, but as this war becomes increasingly unpopular politicians and their generals don’t want the public to be exposed to the human cost.
Journalists and media outlets risk being labelled “un-Australian” by defence chiefs if they dare to write anything that causes grieving families to be exposed to the terrible facts of their loved ones’ death or the processes involved in repatriating their remains.
Politicians meanwhile seek out new ways to sugar coat the PR message that war is about toiling alongside old friends to train new friends or open new schools and medical clinics. It is not.
War is about killing more of the other side than you lose yourself.
Even details about the actions of our best and bravest are sanitised to the point of insult.
When a soldier saves his mates and wins a medal by his “selfless and gallant actions” he has usually slaughtered a large number of enemy fighters during brutal close quarters battles to the death.
It is not glamorous or indicative of some higher Anzac tradition, it is savage and violent and painful and ugly.
Equally when a Digger is killed by an enemy gun or bomb it is bloody and dreadful and traumatic for his mates who are often left scarred by the experience.
Sheltered from these realities by a campaign of censorship, society is then shocked when veterans return home messed up by the experience and at the mercy of Veterans Affairs.
As citizens of a robust and free democracy Australians have a right to know at least some of the detail of that grim reality.
As it stands the community will know little about future casualties short of the hackneyed press release about brave Diggers and their mates who fought hard in the Anzac tradition.
The wider community, who share only a tiny portion of a family’s mountain of grief, but who fund an expensive military force fighting in a war half a world away, deserves better, much better.
Ian McPhedran is Herald Sun defence reporter
THE death of the 33rd Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan – and the 16th member of the special forces – shows the inadequacy, poor structure and imbalance of the Defence Force.
The special forces are not just the tip of the spear of the Australian Defence Force – they are the whole spear.
They do too much of the work, and bear too much of the sacrifice.
Australia now does wars on the cheap, on the blood and suffering of a few hundred men, the same men, sent time and again into the hell of battle – the dead SAS trooper was on his seventh tour in Afghanistan.
Most of the ADF is not kept in anything remotely resembling combat-ready capability.
We can barely get a sub into the water – and if we could, the one thing it couldn’t do is fight.
We can barely get an amphibious ship to help in a storm clean-up.
Nobody knows how few active pilots we have in the air force.
Our army of 30,000 regular soldiers is one of the smallest in Asia, indeed in the world.
But there is one part of the military that is kept at world standard and always ready to go.
That is the SAS and their special forces partners, the commandos. Our special forces are among the best in the world, and widely acknowledged as such especially by the Americans, but they are a tiny force.
The Gillard government has the smallest defence spending, as a proportion of the economy, of any government since 1938.
Its fraudulent prestige as a committed military ally of the US, and of the nation as a defence power, rests on the magnificent performance and out-sized sacrifice of our special forces.
These men fight and die, not just for our strategic interests but to give us a reputation we don’t deserve as a nation that takes defence seriously.
Our army is far too small, yet the government keeps hinting that when the troops come home from Afghanistan it will be cut.
Yet we are reluctant even to use the army we have properly.
In Afghanistan, the special forces have carried out continuous offensive operations against the Taliban and their allies. There is no reason why regular army units could not carry out such operations.
Our infantry and cavalry are restricted to mentoring and training the Afghans, and see action as they help them.
But the hidden grammar of our strategic policy is clear. The SAS and the commandos are our only offensive military instrument. They perform heroically and never shirk duty. But we ask too much of them.
Their valour is used to cloak the neglect and indolence of a government that has no interest in providing an adequate defence force. It’s time the special forces came home.
The XM25 has a range of roughly 2,300 feet – and is to be deployed in Afghanistan soon. I would call it the “Equalizer.” Some call it the “Punisher”.
The rifle’s gun sight uses a laser rangefinder to determine the exact distance to the obstruction, after which the soldier can add or subtract up to 3 meters from that distance to enable the bullets to clear the barrier and explode above or beside the target.
Soldiers will be able to use them to target snipers hidden in trenches rather than calling in air strikes.
The 25-millimeter round contains a chip that receives a radio signal from the gun sight as to the precise distance to the target.
Lt. Col. Christopher Lehner, project manager for the system, described the weapon as a ‘game-changer’ that other nations will try to copy.
He expects the Army to buy 12,500 of the XM25 rifles this year, enough for every member of the infantry and special forces.
Lehner told Fox News: “With this weapon system, we take away cover from [enemy targets] forever. Tactics are going to have to be rewritten. The only thing we can see [enemies] being able to do is run away.”
Experts say the rifle means that enemy troops will no longer be safe if they take cover. The XM25 appears to be the perfect weapon for street-to-street fighting that troops in Afghanistan have to engage in, with enemy fighters hiding behind walls and only breaking cover to fire occasionally.
The weapon’s laser finder would work out how far away the enemy was and then the U.S. soldier would add one meter using a button near the trigger.
When fired, the explosive round would carry exactly one meter past the wall and explode with the force of a hand grenade above the Taliban fighter.
A patent granted to the bullet’s maker, Alliant Techsystems, reveals that the chip can determine how far it has travelled. Mr. Tamilio said: “You could shoot a Javelin missile, and it would cost about $69,000. These rounds will end up costing $25.00 apiece.”
They’re relatively cheap. Lehner added: “This is a game-changer. The enemy has learned to get cover, for hundreds if not thousands of years. Well, they can’t do that anymore. We’re taking that cover from them and there’s only two outcomes: We’re going to get you behind that cover or force you to flee.” The rifle will initially use high-explosive rounds, but its makers say that it might later use versions with smaller explosive charges that aim to stun rather than kill.
What one of the revolutionary bullets looks like that can be pre-programmed to explode to hit troops that are hiding.
An Australian special forces soldier on his seventh tour of duty has been shot dead in Afghanistan while hunting an insurgent leader.
The 40-year-old Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) soldier’s death is the 33rd Australian fatality in Afghanistan since the war began and the first of 2012.
Chief of the Defence Force David Hurley said the soldier – who has not yet been named – was shot in the chest while on a partnered mission with Afghan security forces targeting an insurgent leader.
First aid was provided until he was evacuated to a medical facility at Tarin Kowt.
“Sadly, despite the best efforts of all, attempts to resuscitate the soldier were unsuccessful,” Gen Hurley told a media conference on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Gillard said the death was a “dreadful blow” for the nation.
“I know Australians today will stop, will pause, will reflect and will mark with respect the loss of this brave soldier and will honour his service and his sacrifice,” Ms Gillard said.
“On behalf of the Australian nation I extend all of our condolences to his family as they mourn his loss.
“The defence family will be there to support them, the Australian nation will be there to support them, but we know they will face so many difficult days ahead.”
The latest death may cause many Australians to ask why our forces are still in Afghanistan, the prime minister said.
“This tragic incident is part of what we are doing in Afghanistan because that mission is so important to our Australian nation,” she said.
“We went there to make sure that Afghanistan would not continue to be a safe haven for terrorists.
“We will continue our mission in Afghanistan even as we grieve his loss.”
Defence Minister Stephen Smith said the loss would be very deeply felt within the special forces community and in Perth where the SASR holds an iconic status.
His death is the first for Australia since Captain Bryce Duffy, Corporal Ashley Birt and Lance Corporal Luke Gavin were shot dead by a man in an Afghan army uniform during morning parade on October 29 last year.
“Indeed, our first in some seven or eight months and over such a period of time, though one constantly says that one has to steel oneself for more fatalities, you can lull yourself into a false sense of security,” Mr Smith said.
“So this tragic loss will reverberate through the Australian community today.”
Gen Hurley said the soldier enlisted in 1990 and joined the SASR in 1995.
He was greatly respected by his colleagues and was on his seventh tour of duty in Afghanistan.
It was “unusual” that the soldier had been on so many tours but he said he was confident there were proper processes in place to ensure soldiers were not being asked to do too much.
“It’s an issue we need to keep a sharp eye on,” he said.
The man was the only casualty and was wearing his normal combat body armour at the time of the incident.
Gen Hurley declined to give any further personal details, including where the man was originally from and whether or not he was married.
“Family still needs to contact wider family so we’ll let them go through that process and then we’ll release those details when we’re ready,” he said.
The anti-insurgent operation is ongoing.
ROLLING INTO BATTLE: The troops of 1 Bde form the core of a 9000-strong force battling it out over the Shoalwater Bay Training Area in Ex Hamel 2012.
EX PREDATOR’S STRIKE: Heavy armour rolles across Shoalwater Bay for 1 Bde’s annual warfighting exercise.
ALL IDEAS WELCOME: Diggerworks is about to start touring bases looking for the next components of the soldier combat system.
GOING OUT WITH A BANG: The gunners of 7 Fd Regt deliver their last 105mm salvo in ahead of major changes.
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Fresh from operations in Afghanistan, a section from 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR) came out on top in the Duke of Gloucester Cup at Singleton Military Area from 13-19 April.
The cup, which was first established in 1946, sees sections competing in a range of foundation war-fighting activities designed to assess team dynamics and individual soldier skills under mentally and physically stressful conditions.
Detailed assessment is conducted at every stage of the competition.
The Townsville battalion’s eight-man section took out the prestigious cup, as well as the Sir Arthur McDonald Trophy for best night navigation/night firing and the Gurkha Trophy for best overall shooting results.
2RAR section commander, Corporal Lee Newham, said teamwork was paramount to success in the competition.
“The morale within the section was always high, but when it came to crunch time there was always that motivation to keep driving us along,” said Corporal Newham.
“I know that we have all put in our maximum effort and I believe we have achieved an outstanding result and to be rewarded for that is brilliant.”
In October this year the Duke of Gloucester Cup champions will fly to Wales to take part in Exercise Cambrian Patrol, the premier infantry patrolling event of the British Army.
http://www.defence.gov.au/
Caption: http://images.defence.gov.au/
Duke of Gloucester Cup winners, 2RAR, after completing the final obstacle course at Singleton Military Area. (Front- left to right): Private (PTE) Brent Rigoli, PTE Tim Weir, Lance Corporal Brian Harvey. (Rear- left to right): PTE Ryan Shaw, PTE Daniel Halpin, PTE Jarrad Roberts, Corporal Lee Newham and PTE Rudi Volny. Mid Caption: 2RAR have emphatically proven to be the Royal Australian Regiment’s best infantry rifle section of 2012, winning the gruelling Duke of Gloucester (DoG) Cup at Singleton Military Area, April 13-19. The Cup, first established in 1946, sees sections competing in a range of foundation war-fighting activities designed to assess team dynamics and individual soldier skills under mentally and physically stressful conditions. Detailed assessment is conducted at every stage of the competition. 2RARs eight man section took out the prestigious DoG Cup as well as the Sir Arthur McDonald Trophy for best night navigation/night firing and the Ghurkha Trophy for best overall shooting results.
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Well done Cpl Newham.
Well done the Section!
THE RIGHT FIT: Soldiers trialling candidates for the next combat boot.
MONEY MATTERS: What does the latest Defence budget mean for you?
TRANSITION: Uruzgan among provinces to being move to Afghan-led security from mid year.
ON PATROL WITH ANZAC COY: Join the infantrymen getting out to East Timor’s towns and villages.
All Commanders and RSMs:
I am writing to advise you of the measures announced last night in the Federal Budget affecting Army. Defence, like many other departments and agencies, has made a significant contribution to achieving the Government’s economic agenda. It is important that you understand the scale of the ADF’s budgetary reductions to help you put into context the decisions that have been made.
You should read the DEFGRAM sent out today by CDF and the Departmental Secretary. In addition, attached to this email are the messages sent to their Services by CN and CAF. They are provided to give you as complete an understanding as possible of the impact on the ADF.
The Service Chiefs, along with the CDF and Secretary, have been closely engaged in recommending and prioritising the Defence measures in the Budget. Throughout this process we have remained unified in our commitment to building a highly capable joint force. While some recommendations have been hard to make, I stand by the decisions upon which we have advised.
The Budget enables us to continue to develop the ADF and Army, nevertheless it requires us to use our resources even more judiciously and to continue to reform.
The Budget will not impact on Defence support to operations. Our people will continue to be fully prepared for their mission in Afghanistan and in other operational areas. My priorities as Chief of Army have been largely unaffected: the implementation of Plan Beersheba including Exercise Hamel; the development of a joint amphibious capability; efforts to enhance gender inclusiveness and our support to our wounded, injured and ill. We have right objectives, it will just take longer to reach some of them.
Army uniformed strength will not be affected but we will be required to make a contribution in the reduction to the total defence APS workforce. The details of this reduction are still being worked through and the Secretary does not at this time contemplate involuntary redundancies.
I am aware that public commentary surrounding the Budget is likely to concern some of our people, which is why communicating with them quickly is important.
As Army’s commanders you have a key role in assisting me to explain the Budget to our people. But I would also ask that you reiterate to them that I am Army’s only public spokesperson on all Budget related issues.
From here I intend to engage Army’s Senior Leadership to further develop implementation plans for the announced measures, and I have tasked both DCA and HMSP-A to lead aspects of this work. You can expect additional guidance but in the meantime you should continue to actively pursue reform and a cost conscious approach to building and sustaining Army capability.
In the short term I want you to engage your people to ensure they understand that I have been closely involved in developing the Defence Budget measures. I believe Army has sufficient resources but safety must never be compromised. I appreciate a can-do attitude only if it is founded on the considered management of risk. Resource constraint is no justification for breaching safety protocols.
We have experienced periods of tight fiscal constraint in the past and should not be daunted by the challenge it presents. I expect that you will meet this leadership challenge with Courage, Initiative and Teamwork.
D.L Morrison
LTGEN
Chief of Army
9 May 2012
Key Budget Measures:
Workforce
· Army will contribute to a Departmental reduction of 1,000 APS Workforce positions over the next two financial years. This will largely be achieved through natural attrition and with no involuntary redundancies.
· Removal of Recreational Leave Travel for single members over the age of 21.
· Cessation of the Army Gap Year Program.
· 10% reduction in the allocation of Army reserve training salaries.
· Reduction of approximately 50, non-operational, continuous full-time service positions in 2012-13.
Minor Capital
· 20% reduction in Army minor capital equipment expenditure in 2012-13.
Operating Programs
· M1A1 Abrams Tanks. Fifteen M1A1 tanks will be placed into temporary storage. The tanks will be maintained in a condition that allows them to be rapidly returned to service when Army’s fiscal situation improves. In order to maintain the capability with a reduced number of platforms, Army will need to examine more efficient and effective ways to train tank crews including expenditure on enhanced simulation systems.
· M113AS4 Armoured Personnel Carriers. One hundred M113AS4 Armoured Personnel Carriers will be placed into temporary storage. The APCs will be placed into temporary storage in a condition where they can be rapidly returned to service when Army’s fiscal situation improves. Army will need to develop an equipment and training methodology to ensure an adequate number of crews are maintained to meet contingency requirements.
· One-off delay in procurement of commercial vehicles. Army will delay the disposal of a number of commercial vehicles ensuring a one-off saving. This will see units maintaining vehicles for a year longer than forecasted. Over the following two years, these vehicles will be replaced then the normal frequency of replacement will resume.
· A reduction in the Defence fleet size by 800 vehicles. Defence will see a further reduction in the commercial vehicle fleet by 800. Of the 800, Army is expected to contribute 200 vehicles to this target.
· Minor reduction in rate of effort for ARH and MRH in 2012-13. In order to achieve a cost saving in the next financial year, Army aviation will reduce its rate of effort for both ARH and MRH. This reduction will see minimal effects on training and introduction into service of the new systems.
· Procurement: explosive ordnance, deployable local area networks and clothing. This is a one-off, non-operational, reduction in procurement of explosive ordnance, deployable local area networks and clothing in 2012-13. This will be achieved by drawing down on current inventory.
· Delay in the procurement of field generators and combat load carriage equipment. This is a one-off, non-operational, delay in the procurement of field generators and combat load carriage equipment in 2012-13. This reduction will not see a noticeable effect at the tactical level. This will be achieved by drawing down on current inventory.
Operating Programs – common to Defence
· 20% reduction in business travel, minor purchases and office requisites.
· 15% reduction in the engagement of consultants and contractors.
· 10% reduction in number of postings and relocations.
Cancelled Projects
· Land 17 Ph 1C.1 – Self Propelled Howitzers. This project was scoped to deliver 18 x Self Propelled Howitzers and is cancelled. Army will now procure an equivalent number of M777 Towed Howitzers.
· Land 146 Ph 2 – Combat Identification of Ground Forces. This project was scoped to deliver a digital Close Air Support capability for Land Forces and is cancelled. The majority of the scope will now be delivered through Land 17 Ph 1B Digital Terminal Control System and Land 146 Ph 1.
· JP 65 – Enhancements to Secure Trunk Communications. This project was scoped to deliver enhancements to the Land Forces secure trunk communications network and is cancelled. The project enhancements are scheduled for replacement in the near term by superior satellite communications technology through JP 2072 Ph 2B which will provide enhanced command and control for deployed ADF Headquarters in the Land environment.
· JP 2043 Ph 3A – High Frequency Modernisation. The mobile component was scoped to deliver 33 x mobile communications systems and has been cancelled. The capability requirement has been replaced by satellite and very high frequency communications systems.
Delayed Projects
· 12 additional Army projects have been slipped one year and one Army project has been slipped two years. The impact of this will be managed though Life of Type Extensions of in-service platforms and is as follows:
· AIR 9000 CH CAP (CH-47F) Capability Alignment Program (maintain the CH-47F to US build standard).
· JP 2097 Ph 1B – REDFIN Special Operations Capability (replacement special operations vehicles and battle management system).
· Land 400 – Land Combat Vehicle System (mounted close combat capability for the Land Force).
· JP 129 Ph 3 – Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (SHADOW replacement or upgrade).
· JP 1771 Ph 1 – Geospatial Support Systems for the Land Force (modernisation of collection, data management and dissemination of geospatial information).
· Land 17 Ph 1C.2 – Future Family Ammunition (155mm ammunition family).
· Land 125 Ph 3C – Soldier Enhancement Version 2: Lethality (enhanced F88).
· Land 125 Ph 4 – Integrated Soldier System Version 3 (next generation of the soldier combat system covering lethality, survivability, mobility and command and control).
· JP 154 Ph 2 – Counter IED (Force Protection ECM and Weapon Technical Intelligence capability).
· JP 2110 Ph 1B – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear Defence 1B (to enable Land Forces to operate in a CBRN environment).
· JP 3011 Ph 1 – Non Lethal Weapons (enhance ADF non lethal capabilities).
· JP 157 Ph 1 – Replacement Refuelling Trucks (fixed base aviation refuelling vehicles).
· Land 19 Ph 7B – Ground Based Air Defence Replacement (replacement or enhancement of the Ground Based Air Defence System) – two year delay.
Infrastructure
· 20 Army Major Capital Facilities projects have been delayed up to three years. The impact of this will be managed through prioritisation and reallocation of funds within the Estate Maintenance program. The project delays is as follows:
· 17 Const Sqn Relocation – 1 year delay to the relocation to RAAF Amberley.
· 11 Close Health Company Interim facilities – 1 year delay.
· RMC-D Armoury Redevelopment – 1 year delay.
· Holsworthy Barracks Redevelopment Stage 2 – 1 year delay.
· Larrakeyah Base Redevelopment – 2 year to the NORFORCE redevelopment.
· Enoggera Redevelopment Stage 2 – 2 year delay.
· Randwick Barracks Redevelopment – 2 year delay.
· Lavarack Barracks Upgrade – 2 year delay.
· Edinburgh Multi-user Depot and Relocation of Elizabeth North Units – 2 year delay.
· Enhanced Land Force Stage 2C – 3 year delay to training area works (approved elements not yet in contract).
· Oakey Redevelopment Stage 2 – 3 year delay.
· Watsonia Redevelopment – 3 year delay.
· Bindoon SF Training Area – 3 year delay.
· Anglesea Barracks Redevelopment – 3 year delay.
· Singleton Redevelopment – 3 year delay.
· Kapooka Working Accommodation – 3 year delay.
· Robertson Barracks Redevelopment – 3 year delay.
· Puckapunyal Redevelopment – 3 year delay.
· Victoria Barracks Sydney Reinvestment – 3 year delay.
· A Coy, 41 RNSWR New Tweed Heads Depot – 3 year delay.
Dear Association members,
I thought Id take a moment to thank you all for your ongoing support to 8/9 RAR, MTF 4 and our families while we are away, particularly over ANZAC Day. I hope that you all had a terrific day and managed to catch up with friends and family.
Where we could we ceased operations for a few hours to commemorate the Day across all of our patrol bases. The Dawn Services were excellent and the RSM WO1 D’Arcy, coordinated the outstanding Service for the hundreds of Australians working in Tarin Kot, including the VIPs’ one of which was the Governor General of Australia. She provided the most memorable and inspiring speech as the sun slowly rose over the assembled soldiers, following which she laid a wreath hand inscribed with all the names of the soldiers we have lost during this war. It was an emotional moment and highlighted the great sacrifice we have made in the name of bringing security to a country far away. Some of our soldiers also participated in a very small ceremony in the dasht during an isolated multi day patrol with the Afghan National Army (ANA). Theirs was probably the most memorable as they were without doubt the most exposed and isolated Australian soldiers serving anywhere in the world. The threat to these soldiers was very real, however they established security, stopped in the dark and remembered.
Later in the Day we took the opportunity to play a bit of sport however, unfortunately the selected Australian Army Cricket Team was defeated by the ANA in a highly competitive and contested cricket 
match. In another patrol base those soldiers not on duty took the opportunity to have a BBQ next to their newly filled inbuilt emergency water supply. Strangely this facility looks similar to a large swimming pool and coincidently was build adjacent to an array of lounges and a volley ball court. It would appear our MTF soldiers are often required to change into swimmers and inspect the water supply for extended periods! That said on this particular day the soldiers, whilst inspecting the water supply, eating BBQ and enjoying one of their two cans of beer were rudely disturbed by the Insurgents who decided to attack an adjacent police check point. Unfortunately the men in their haste to respond evidently spilt all their allocated beer and naturally immediately sought me out for another two cans. Nice try but fail!!
Our soldiers are doing magnificently and you can all be very proud of their achievements. They have fully embraced their mission and role as mentors. Their achievements in regards to developing the confidence, skills and capabilities of the ANA have been outstanding. Others now look at the MTF 4 model as that which they strive to achieve. Our relationships with the ANA are built on trust and have been proven in combat against an exceptionally tenacious and dangerous enemy. We never underestimate the enemy although our results are proving we are better than them. We have been tested repeatedly since we arrived and each time our soldiers have walked away and can be proud of their achievements. I am immensely proud of them.
Time is getting short for us now and the days longer and hotter, we are tired but not exhausted. We are still winning and mission achievement looks a certainty for us. That said, it’s not over and the hardest part of our mission is yet to come. The challenge for us is to maintain the same rate of effort, high standards, achievements and morale so that we come home together and satisfied we did our small part in a big war. I would also like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank all the people at home who have sent us their wishes and care packages. We really have been spoilt and your thoughts mean the world to us. It’s truly appreciated and I can’t thank you enough. We look forward to seeing you when this one is over.
Yours sincerely,
Kahlil Fegan
Lieutenant Colonel
Commanding Officer
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