More Defence news: 14 December 2009 - 20 December 2009

Christmas carols in East Timor

Australian and New Zealand sailors, soldiers and airmen and women are welcoming in the festive season with carolling sessions around Dili, East Timor.

Spending their Christmas away from family and friends, the service personnel are seeking to not only brighten up their own Christmas but to share joy with the locals.

International Stabilisation Force (ISF) Padre, Major Andrew Rutley, said the carolling events are a way of connecting people with what they would ordinarily be doing a home at this time of the year.

“It is an important for people to enjoy the Christmas experience regardless of where they are,” Padre Rutley said.

“If they were home many people would go to a local carols in the park, watch the carols on television or sing a few Christmas songs with their families.

“Singing carols on base is just one way for people to celebrate Christmas even though they are away from Mum or Dad, their partners and children, or other loved ones.”

On Christmas Day, defence force members will have the opportunity to take part in non-denominational church services on ISF bases, as well as attend Mass in local East Timorese churches.

Defence members will be able to reach out to their families through expanded telephone and internet access that will enable troops to speak with their families online.

More: Image gallery | Christmas in Defence

Deployed personnel celebrate Christmas

From barbeques in Middle East to carols in East Timor, about 3800 ADF personnel will be spending Christmas away from home this year, working in border protection, counter terrorism and peace keeping missions.    

The Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Mark Evans said the Australian public held a deep respect for its deployed people.

“Christmas Day is an important time to reflect on the year that has passed and the challenges that lay ahead,” Lieutenant General Evans said.

In Afghanistan, a traditional Christmas roast prepared by Australian cooks will warm up those deployed.

Australian personnel in Kandahar will celebrate with a Christmas lunch with their British counterparts and in neighbouring Helmand Province, Australian gunners attached to the British Army will also celebrate with their British hosts.

An Aussie-style barbecue breakfast will be on offer in the Middle East area of operations, while HMAS Stuart will continue with counter-terrorism operations in the Gulf of Aden.  

In Iraq, members of the ADF Security Detachment protecting the Australian Embassy in Baghdad will spend the day on duty maintaining security and ensuring the success of the diplomatic mission.

In Khartoum, most of the 17 Australian personnel serving with the United Nations Mission in Sudan will also be gathering around a barbeque for their Aussie Christmas lunch.

For the troops in the Solomon Islands, the tropical monsoon is the setting for a Christmas Day lunch with all the trimmings.

The sporting theme prevails in East Timor, where members of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) will have two days of sports.

And up to 500 personnel will be conducting border protection operations off Australia’s northern coast-line and will continue operations alongside their Customs colleagues during the festive season.

More: Christmas in Defence

Defence rises to blood donor challenge

The Royal Australian Air Force has won the ADF’s inaugural blood donor challenge, helping to raise awareness of the importance of blood for people in Australia and for those on ADF operations overseas. 

Commander Joint Health Major General Paul Alexander said the Australian Red Cross Blood Service was vital to Defence operations and thanked the more than 1200 donors from Navy, Army and Air Force.

“The blood challenge has helped increase the numbers of donors within the three Services, and I congratulate Air Force on registering the most donors,” Major General Alexander said.

“We appreciate the work that’s been done and I think it’s very important that Defence gets involved to build on these sorts of events.

“Our relationship with the Australian Red Cross Blood Service is an important one and our soldiers on operations are very dependent on these life saving donations.”

Realising the importance of blood since first donating at 18 years of age, Major Gary Schulz planned the challenge and hopes to build on the event next year. 

“Being in the ADF I’ve always felt that I was healthy and therefore an ideal donor,” Major Schulz said.

“There are many people who aren’t lucky enough to be as healthy as most Service personnel and so therefore we have the ability to provide our liquid gold to help other people out.”

Major General Alexander said the ADF would stay involved and support the blood drive next year as well as continuing to ensure that the range of blood products available to deployed soldiers remains suitable.

More: Image gallery

Navy missile launch

18 December - HMAS Melbourne has demonstrated the Navy’s updated naval air defence capability with the firing of a Standard Missile (SM 2) off Jervis Bay. 

Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science Greg Combet said the SM 2 would be further enhanced throughout the next year.  

“This missile firing was the first time a SM 2 has been fired from an Adelaide class frigate,” Mr Combet said.

“The missile was prepared, launched and supported in flight before engaging a target.”

Mr Combet said Melbourne was now equipped with two modern missile systems to combat anti-ship missiles and aircraft.

“HMAS Melbourne is an Adelaide class guided missile frigate (FFG) that has completed the multi-million dollar FFG Upgrade Program and has recently undergone additional SM-2 related alterations to its combat system,” Mr Combet said.

More: Image gallery

IED inquiry completed

18 December - Defence has concluded its inquiry into an incident during which four people were killed and two wounded in Uruzgan Province after they were observed digging into the roadside in several locations.  

The Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Mark Evans, directed an Inquiry Officer to establish the facts after claims that the people killed were farmers doing irrigation work at night.

The Inquiry Officer concluded that on the balance of probabilities, it was very likely that the people engaged were laying improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The inquiry found that eight individuals were observed acting suspiciously at about 9:30pm on 27 April 2009.

The group was observed for more than three hours before being engaged using close air support.

The Inquiry Officer found that the Commanding Officer was justified in his belief that the people targeted were laying IEDs.

The Inquiry Officer also found that the Commanding Officer took all reasonable steps to confirm in his own mind that he was targeting insurgents.

He received positive identification of the targets on three occasions prior to authorising the engagement.

The Inquiry Officer concluded that ADF personnel that night complied with the Rules of Engagement governing immediate targeting.

More: Inquiry report

Building clearance inquiry completed 

18 December - Defence has concluded an inquiry into an incident during which three Afghan men were killed during a building clearance operation in Afghanistan’s Uruzgan Province.

On 2 April 2009, a combined Afghan National Security Force and Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) element targeted buildings that were believed to be occupied by an insurgent commander and Taliban supporters.

This resulted in the detention of eight Afghans and the deaths of three others. The detainees were later released.

The Chief of Joint Operations, Lieutenant General Mark Evans, ordered an Inquiry Officer to investigate subsequent information that the deceased men were civilians.

The Inquiry Officer concluded that while the final identities of the deceased are unlikely to ever be known with certainty, on the balance of probability they were likely to have been associates of a senior insurgent leader.  

Additionally, it was reported that the behaviour of the individuals was reasonably interpreted by SOTG members as hostile, with Australian soldiers deemed to have acted lawfully and in self-defence when the three men were killed.

The Inquiry Officer recommended that no conduct warranted further investigation.

More: Inquiry report

Entertainers put on show for troops

17 December - ADF personnel serving in East Timor have enjoyed a pre-Christmas concert led by Australian musicians and entertainers as part of the 17th Force Entertainment Tour.

Australian singer-songwriter John Schumann, best known for his song “I Was Only 19”, said the Tour was something he has wanted to do for a long time.

“It is terrific to be here with this community of men and women who selflessly represent our interests overseas,” Mr Schumann said.

“A lot of these guys have families and I watch them line up at the telephones at night to call home. I think you really have to come here and see that to understand it emotionally.”

Comedian Gary Bradbury, who served in the Australian Army from 1986 to 1993, praised the troops for their sense of humour.

“In the Army everyone has a pretty good sense of humor and I was always around guys who would want to make wise cracks,” Mr Bradbury said.

“They like a laugh even though they are doing a tough job.”

The tour, known as Tour de Force, is organised to bring cheer to Service personnel who are deployed overseas. 

More: Image gallery

Private Benjamin Ranaudo

17 December - The details about the death of Private Benjamin Ranaudo who died on service in Afghanistan in July this year have been released.

Forming part of the 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force, Private Ranaudo died instantly as a result of an IED explosion during a cordon and search operation in the Baluchi Valley on 18 July.

Another Australian soldier was wounded and three local Afghan civilians were injured in the blast.

The Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant General David Hurley, said the Inquiry Officer found that training, intelligence and planning were all sufficient prior to the incident.

“The Inquiry Officer was also satisfied that the soldiers involved in this incident were trained and practiced in identifying the majority of improvised explosive device threats,” General Hurley said.

The Inquiry Officer’s only recommendation was that a Commission of Inquiry not be appointed. This recommendation was accepted by the Chief of the Defence Force and agreed to by the Minister for Defence.

General Hurley said Private Ranaudo was an exceptional soldier and a role model for others.

“Ben was a very popular and much loved member of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) and the 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force who will be sorely missed,” Lieutenant General David Hurley said. 

More: Inquiry Officers Report | Audio | Video

Report on Afghan Wounding

15 December - A Defence review has found it was unlikely that Australian troops caused a gunshot wound to a young Afghan man, injured last month.

Australian troops working alongside the Afghan National Army were fired on by insurgents occupying higher ground in the vicinity of Shah Wali Kot, in southern Afghanistan.

The Australian forces engaged the insurgents in a controlled and discriminate manner.

There was no use of close air support or mortars by Australian troops.

Approximately twenty minutes after the contact, the Afghan male was found by Australian troops with a single gun-shot wound to his lower left leg.

Immediate first aid was applied by Australian forces before the man was aero-medically evacuated to the Dutch military hospital at Tarin Kowt, where he received surgery on the leg wound.

Following an interview with the man, the reviewing officer was not able to determine the origin of the round. The bullet passed through the Afghan man’s  leg and was not able to be recovered for forensic analysis.

The Afghan male in question has been released from hospital to return home and is expected to make a full recovery.

The review found that it was unlikely, but not impossible, that the wound was caused by Australian troops. The review concluded that the terrain and manner of the engagement suggested it was more likely that the injury was the result of insurgent fire.

Pine Gap upgrade

15 December - Work to upgrade the antenna farm at the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap is expected to begin in mid 2010.

The work is to replace aging equipment and update technology.

Australian contractors have been sought for the infrastructure upgrades.

Construction will occur over several years with the refurbishment expected to be completed by 2014.

Pine Gap is jointly run by the Australian and United States Governments.

The facility is an essential part of Australia’s national defence and alliance with the United States.

Pine Gap provides intelligence and early warning that would be unavailable from any other means and is unique in the region.

As stated in the 2009 Defence White Paper Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030, “the capabilities at Pine Gap will evolve to meet new demands and take advantage of new technologies, and the facility will remain a central element of Australia’s security and of our relationship with the United States”.