Media Room: Media Releases

MRTF-2 MOURNS ‘NOVA’

The 2^nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-2) paused to mourn the death of ‘Nova’, an Explosive Detection Dog, over the weekend, who served with distinction throughout her Army career.

Nova was fatally injured in a vehicle incident on Friday 23 October 2009, while training with her handler at Camp Holland in Oruzgan Province.

Nova was taken to the base medical facility to receive further treatment however her wounds were deemed too severe and subsequently she was put to sleep by the Regimental Medical Officer.

Base personnel later gathered with the MRTF-2 Chaplain, to farewell their four-legged mate.

Nova had recently been involved in Operation Baz Panje, a Joint Afghan National Army, Australian Defence Force and Coalition Operation, responding to a call from Afghan Locals to remove the threat posed by Taliban insurgents.

Commanding Officer of MRTF-2, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Connolly, said the loss of Nova is keenly felt by the personnel of MRTF-2 and the wider Royal Australian Engineers, particularly their specialist dog handlers.

“Explosive Detection Dogs are a critical asset in our fight against improvised explosive devices.  The Dogs save countless lives,” Lieutenant Colonel Connolly said.

Explosive Detection Dogs are used by MRTF-2 in a specialist search capacity to counter the high threat of improvised explosive devices throughout Oruzgan Province.

MRTF-2 maintains an Explosive Detection Dog capability providing the required level of force protection for deployed Australian troops.

Nova will be cremated.

Media note: Imagery of Nova will be available at www.defence.gov.au/media/download.

Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664