Defence News
Great mate returned home
31 August 2010
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Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney has been honoured at RAAF Base Amberley.
Lance Corporal MacKinney last week became the 21st Australian soldier to have been killed in action in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001.
His death followed an intense firefight with Taliban insurgents in the green zone of the Deh Rawud region of Uruzgan province.
The 28-year-old was from the Brisbane-based 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment. Lance Corporal MacKinney was the sixth Brisbane-based soldier to be killed in Afghanistan since June.
Family, friends and colleagues were on hand to welcome home Lance Corporal MacKinney as he returned to Australia in a Royal Australian Air Force C-17 Globemaster.
7th Brigade Commander, Brigadier Paul McLachlan, paid tribute to Lance Corporal 'Crash' MacKinney -
"Today we bring Crash home and restore him to the loving arms of his family," he said at the ceremony.
"Crash MacKinney will be remembered as a great mate, a loving husband and father. He had found his true calling and died in the arms of his mates. He passes in to the glorious history of the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment."
A lone piper led the bearer party from the aircraft through the guard of honour.
Lance Corporal MacKinney leaves behind wife Beckie who is expecting the couple's second child and three-year-old daughter Annabell.
Mrs MacKinney paid tribute to her husband last week -
"Jared was a very loving Dad, a doting father, and nothing meant more to him than family. He was really the best husband and we shared the most amazing eleven years together."
Jane MacKinney, his mother, said Jared was patriotic and a dedicated soldier who was realistic about the risks.
"He was very competitive with himself and set very high personal standards."