More Defence news: 21 January - 27 January 2008

25 January - It’s not just the heat in Afghanistan that makes the job of an Australian soldier more testing – freezing temperatures in the winter months bring different challenges for the Diggers who are helping to create a more secure and prosperous Afghanistan.

The ability to spend over a month operating in such remote areas, at sub-zero temperatures, has brought out the best in Australia’s soldiers. Lance Corporal Joseph Rears has spent most of his deployment in the field, and said that mateship is critical to the soldiers’ survival.

“If we go out on a patrol, there’s a hot brew waiting when we get back,” Lance Corporal Rears said.

“It was minus 12 (degrees) and hailing when some of the boys came back soaking wet from patrol, so when they were in bed, the Bushmaster drivers got the sleeping soldiers’ uniforms and dried them on the exhaust of the vehicles, so when the Diggers woke up, they had dry gear to get back into,” he said.

Such support for each other helps the soldiers to get through the tougher times, according to Sergeant Justin Smith.

“We’ve got a tight group who can operate for long periods in extreme weather, and with a short turn around between tasking,” Sergeant Smith said.

“The ability of the boys to remain flexible and to handle the hardships with good humour amazes me,” he said.

The many projects being supported by the Reconstruction Task Force are an essential part of gaining the trust of the Afghan people and helping them to build a better future for themselves. And the Australians have found that their input is welcome.

“The local workers and tradespeople want to learn to improve the quality of their workmanship,” Warrant Officer Matt Daldry said.

“When the locals see what they can achieve, even with small input from us, that’s a motivating factor towards progressing their own projects in the future,” he said.

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