The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (8255847) Trooper Jason Thomas Brown, 1 Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment, Afghanistan War.

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial each day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. Hosted by Sharon Bown, the story for this day was on (8255847) Trooper Jason Thomas Brown, 1 Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment, Afghanistan War.

8255847 Trooper Jason Thomas Brown, 1 Squadron, Special Air Service Regiment
KIA: 13 August 2010

Today we remember and pay tribute to Trooper Jason Thomas Brown.

Jason Brown was born on 16 July 1981 to Graham (a Vietnam veteran) and Ann Brown. Four years later, his sister Stephanie was born.

His mother Ann recalled that as a baby he was always smiling: “he was just like the sun.” While blessed with a dry sense of humour a love for playing pranks, he also had a steely determination and knew what he wanted to do in life.

Jason first expressed his desire to join the Australian Army when he was about five years old. Over the years, that desire only increased, and he set his sights on becoming a member of the Special Air Service Regiment.

Jason grew up in Sydney’s northern suburbs and attended Oakhill College at Castle Hill. He loved sport and was a noted rugby league player.

After he finished high school, 18-year-old Jason joined the Australian Army on 13 June 2000. His father Graham later recalled that when Jason told him that he intended to join the infantry corp, Graham replied, “Why infantry? You need to get a trade so when you leave the army, you will have a qualification.” Jason responded, “I don’t intend leaving. I’m in for good.”

After basic training at Kapooka, he was posted to Singleton for his initial employment training as an infantryman.

He was then posted to the 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment. Graham recalled that “he was really stoked because that was my old battalion.”

Jason deployed for the first time to Timor in late January 2001, joining 1RAR, which had deployed the previous October as part of Operation Tanager. He returned to Australia following the battalion’s successful deployment in May but was back in Timor for a second deployment from May to October 2003.

In 2004 Jason passed the initial entry course and was posted to the 4th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (Commando). Over the next year he was kept busy with a raft of courses to fully qualify as a commando.

On 1 May, Jason was promoted to acting lance corporal. At the end of the month he deployed to Timor for a third time, returning to Australia at the end of August. The following month, his promotion was made substantive.

In 2007 Jason attended and passed the gruelling SAS selection course, earning him the winged dagger and sandy beret. It was “his proudest moment”, and he reaffirmed his pledge to remain “a soldier for life”. After joining his squadron, Jason was sent on a multitude of different training courses. In mid-2008 during a parachute course, “Browny” as he was known to his mates, broke his leg during a jump. One of his mates later recalled that “Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for himself, he would go down to the local shooting club in Perth every day. That was the type of person he was.”

After conducting force preparation exercises at the end of April 2010, Jason deployed to Afghanistan with his unit as part of Operation Slipper on 24 June. The pace of operations was constant because of an upsurge in Taliban activity.

On 13 August, Jason was part of a five-man patrol that had been involved in a “disruption operation” in northern Kandahar province. Towards the end of the operation, the patrol was faced with crossing a river before reaching their extraction zone.

As the Australians made towards a crossing point, they passed a dense thicket of vegetation along the river bank. Without warning, the patrol came under heavy fire from a concealed belt-fed weapon at close range.

Jason, who was in the middle of the patrol, took the full force of the opening salvo. Despite wearing a helmet and body armour, multiple machine -gun rounds pierced his side and he fell immediately.

His patrol mates reacted instantly, running 20 metres across open ground to come to his aid. One member of the patrol remained with Jason, his equipment and clothing being hit by enemy fire multiple times. From this exposed position he fired on the enemy, killing their machine-gunner. This allowed another member of the patrol to move forward to help him move Jason and begin first aid. Despite their best efforts, Jason was unable to be saved. Two members of the patrol were subsequently decorated for gallantry: one received a Commendation for Distinguished Service the other received the Star of Gallantry, Australia’s second highest award.

Jason’s body was repatriated to Australia and his funeral was held two weeks later with full military honours at the Queen of Peace Church in Sydney, the same church where he had been baptised and confirmed. More than 700 people attended to celebrate his life.

The funeral was officiated by Jason’s uncle, Paul Fitzpatrick, a Catholic priest who had flown out from Ireland. During the service, Jason’s commanding officer described him as a professional soldier. “On August 13 we won the battle but we lost a warrior,” he said. “Trooper Brown was a hardened, quiet professional.”

Graham Brown said in an earlier tribute to his son that “he was born to be a soldier, and believed in what he was doing. He died doing what he loved and would have wanted to leave the world doing what he loved. We are all very proud of him.”

Jason Brown was laid to rest in Castlebrook Cemetery. He was 29 years old.

His name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with 42 other Australians who died on operations or as a consequence of the war in Afghanistan.

His is but one of the many stories of service and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Trooper Jason Brown, who gave his life for us, for our freedoms, and in the hope of a better world.

Michael Kelly
Historian, Australian War Memorial