Australia marks 25 years of service in Afghanistan war

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 10 Oct, 20:24 · Archive

Australia is commemorating 25 years since it deployed troops to Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, honouring 47 personnel who died in the 20-year campaign.

Australia is commemorating 25 years since it joined the US and other coalition forces in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. More than 35,000 Australian servicemen and women were deployed to the Middle East over the following two decades until their withdrawal in 2021. The campaign, known as Operation Slipper, lasted 20 years.

Memorial services are being held to honour those who served and remember the 47 Australian Defence Force personnel who died as a result of their service and 263 who were wounded. The RSL WA will hold a ceremony at 4pm at the State War Memorial in Perth on Saturday, and the Department of Veterans' Affairs will mark the anniversary with a service on Sunday at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, which will also release a commemorative coin.

Former soldier Mathew Bell, who was deployed in 2012 aged 24, said troops remain proud of their work. He described patrols through the desert and populated areas, and said his unit brought improvements to the region: girls were able to attend school, medical services were rolled out to villages, and there was freedom. "We changed that little part of Afghanistan, that little part of the world for good," he said. RSL WA chief executive Stephen Barton, who will preside over Saturday's service, said he believed all those who served would have carried home defining memories from their time there.

How it is being reported

• Afghanistan veterans gather to mark service anniversaryA quarter of a century after Australia deployed troops to a controversial Afghanistan war, veterans are gathering to remember their role in the operation.The West Australian · 10 Oct, 20:02
• Afghanistan veterans gather to mark service anniversaryA quarter of a century after Australia deployed troops to a controversial Afghanistan war, veterans are gathering to remember their role in the operation.Perth Now · 10 Oct, 20:02
• RSL commemorates 25th anniversary of Australian service in Afghanistan and honours soldiers who never returnedStanding up to speak at a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of Australian service in Afghanistan will be an intensely personal experience for former soldier Stephen Barton.The West Australian · 9 Oct, 09:26

In this story: Australia · Afghanistan · Stephen Barton · Mathew Bell · RSL WA · Australian War Memorial · Department of Veterans' Affairs · Taliban

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