Afghanistan Memorials arrive at the Australian War Memorial
Australians were first deployed to Afghanistan in 2001. From 2005 to 2013 most Australian personnel were based at Tarin Kot in Uruzgan province.
Memorial from Camp Holland, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan
The first Australian Reconstruction Task Force arrived in Tarin Kot in 2006 and lived and worked with Dutch comrades, who had named their base Camp Holland. The Australians eventually took over responsibility for the camp and the province. They worked with local communities on a range of infrastructure and reconstruction projects and undertook mentoring and advisory roles with the Afghan security forces.
This memorial was located in the centre of Camp Holland’s parade ground and provided a focal point for commemorative ceremonies. There the Australians would gather to honour the members of the International Security Assistance Force who had lost their lives in the region.
The memorial, and the refurbishment of the precinct, was sponsored by the RSL Australian Forces Overseas Fund in 2011.
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Memorial from Camp Russell, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan
The Australian Special Forces and supporting units were based in Camp Russell, named after the first Australian to be killed in Afghanistan, Sergeant Andrew Russell of the Special Air Service Regiment.
Although adjacent to other coalition military bases, Camp Russell was a secure and separate enclosure which contained living, medical, and operational facilities. This memorial was the focus for various commemorative ceremonies, such as Anzac Day and Remembrance Day, but was also used during special services held to farewell comrades killed in action.
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Australian soldiers pause after laying wreaths at the Camp Holland memorial on Remembrance Day, 11 November 2012.
AWM P11514.012, copyright Commonwealth of Australia.
Australian military commanders at Multi National Base – Tarin Kot lay wreaths at the memorial during the ceremony for the fallen (L–R): Lieutenant Colonel Mick Bye, Commanding Officer (CO) 2nd Cavalry Regiment Task Force; Colonel Wade Stothart, Commander Combined Team – Uruzgan; Lieutenant Colonel 'M', CO Special Operations Task Group; and Wing Commander Jonathan McMullan, CO Heron Detachment.
Image courtesy of the Department of Defence
Corporal Christopher Jasper, Combined Team – Uruzgan, and Corporal Thomas Williams, 2nd Cavalry Regiment Task Force in the catafalque party during a ceremony for the fallen at Multi National Base – Tarin Kot, southern Afghanistan.
Image courtesy of the Department of Defence
A member of the Special Operations Engineer Regiment salutes after laying a wreath during the ANZAC Day service at Camp Russell.
Image courtesy of the Department of Defence
Members of the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) have paused to pay tribute to all personnel who have served in the Australian Defence Forces as part of ANZAC Day commemorations.
Image courtesy of the Department of Defence
A member of the 2nd Commando Regiment salutes after laying a wreath during the ANZAC Day service at Camp Russell.
Image courtesy of the Department of Defence
The Cenotaph at Camp Russell at the completion of the ANZAC Day Service.
Image courtesy of the Department of Defence
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