Australia's special forces bear heavy combat burden in Afghanistan

The Australian ^ | 5th July 2011 | Mark Dodd

[naturalman1975]

ANNOUNCING Australia's 28th combat death in Afghanistan today, defence chief General David Hurley admitted it was reasonable to ask whether too much is being asked of the Special Operations Task Group.

Totalling just over 300 personnel, the SOTG includes men and women drawn from the Commando, Special Air Service and Incident Response regiments.

At 35 years of age, commando Sergeant Todd Langley was a veteran who had served on five combat tours of Afghanistan and two operational deployments to East Timor.

Sergeant Langley was shot in the head during a firefight with Taliban insurgents during a counter-insurgency operation in southern Afghanistan.

The SOTG has borne the brunt of gruelling combat operations in Afghanistan - shadowy kill or capture missions targeting Taliban commanders and bomb makers, in addition to vital intelligence gathering.

Both the Gillard government and its John Howard-led predecessor baulked at sending regular infantry battalions into combat operations, preferring instead for that role to be borne by the special forces.

Regardless of the wisdom of that decision, the impact on the 2nd Commando Regiment of the loss of such an experienced NCO as Sergeant Langley, and before him Sergeant Brett Wood, killed in May, should not be underestimated.

They are the repositories of corporate combat knowledge and the glue which binds elite units like the Commando Regiment, a fact acknowledged by General Hurley during his grim announcement.

[naturalman1975]

My profile page contains a tribute to all the Australian and New Zealanders who have sacrificed all serving their country (or adopted country) in this war. I pray he’s the last I have to add, but that would take a miracle - or a cowardly act by government.

[max americana]

I read a Philippine article a few months back about Aussie spec operators were in the Southern Philippines where muzzies roam, and they are there with the 1st Spec Forces Group from the US. The president of the Philippines was grilled by their Congress as it was violation of the visitors military treaty between the US and the Philippines. All the president could say was “what foreign troops?”

[truthguy]

I once knew some GIs (vets of WWII) who were stationed in Australia before being shipped out to fight in New Guinea and the Philippines. They are no longer with us. They were terrific men and they loved Australia. The only issue they had with the place was the terrific heat. This might be why the Aussies drink so much beer.

Anyway Australia is as good an ally as we had in WWII. They were some of the very best soldiers of the entire war. Anyone who wants to read up on the accomplishments of the Australian Military should google: Kokoda Trail WW2. You will find much information on a heroic battle the Aussies fought with the Japanese and won. It was the equivalent of what the Marines did at Guadalcanal or the 101st Airborne did at Bastogne.

Yeah I just posted this before but I can't say enough good things about the Australians. Great people, great country, great ally.

[chuckee]

Australia has been an excellent ally who is always at the tip of the spear with us. Unfortunately, I read an article recently where they are considering being the first Western nation to permit women to serve in an infantry front line combat role provided they measure up physically. I would not expect many women to qualify physically but it seems like the disease of political correctness has landed on the shores of Oz.

[naturalman1975]

Unfortunately what you have heard is correct. It's a kneejerk response by the government to a 'sexual harassment scandal' at the Australian Defence Force Academy. The Defence Minister seems to think he needs to 'do something' rather than just do what the Defence Chiefs wanted which is punish (probably with dismissal from the service and expulsion from the Academy, given what they allegedly did) the offending cadets, and maybe some sort of education program to convince 18 year olds that what might happen at a university campus isn't even close to appropriate at ADFA (not that most universities would have tolerated this either).

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks naturalman1975 (and Australia).