An SASR soldier during a vehicle patrol in Afghanistan. The Commander Special Forces Task Group says SASR has “got it right” in the war-ravaged country. Photo by Cpl Wade Laube, 1JPAU(P)

AUSTRALIAN Special Forces soldiers in Afghanistan recently celebrated the 38th anniversary of their parent unit’s formation while deployed in a role they have been refining since its inception.

The commander of the Special Forces Task Group in Afghanistan said his troops were providing the coalition with a unique military capability.

“We’re being appreciated for the niche capability we can offer, which is protracted special reconnaissance over harsh terrain and the ability to communicate that information back to the people who need it in a very timely fashion,” he said.

“We’ve been used in a role that the unit has trained for over a long period.”

The Australians have been deployed for more than nine months and are now working hand-in-hand with elements of the US 82nd Airborne Division, which recently replaced the 10th Mountain Division.

“While it is a nice capability, we still rely on specific US support and because of the exercises and exchanges we do and the basis of our doctrine, the interoperability and integration of this support is excellent.”

The ADF’s unique special reconnaissance capabilities had been recognised by Coalition commanders. As a result, the Australians had specialised in that capability.

“There is no doubt that we have a world-class capability in our ability to conduct special reconnaissance. That is testimony to what the men of the SFTG have done over a number of years to develop those skills and capabilities. It’s testimony to the selection process, indeed it’s testimony to the Australian Army in general in the way it operates in the defence of Australia – the long, hard exercises that we continue to do pay dividends.”

Soldiering in Afghanistan had proven to be a daunting challenge for every army that has ever tried, whether Alexander the Great’s or the US Army.

And the SFTG did not understate that difficulty.

“In the good Aussie tradition, the soldiers are reluctant to pat themselves on the back but the unit has done well.

“It is arguably one of the harshest environments on Earth. The extremes of temperature, altitude and terrain make it extremely difficult.

“Certainly they’ve had to adapt to a very harsh environment but as our soldiers will tell you, our training in Australia prepares them as well as you could be for an operation in a country like this.”

While Australia offered a long-range reconnaissance capability that others find hard to match, the US had the broadest and most advanced array of air support assets on the planet.

“The integration of air support both in a surveillance sense and a close air support sense is first class.

“It allows us to conduct operations with much more freedom and we’re guaranteed of backup if things go wrong.”

The commander believes his troops would leave Afghanistan knowing that their preparation, processes and philosophies on training were correct.

“They arrived here well prepared and adapted to this peculiar situation extremely quickly. They’ll go back better soldiers, with a better understanding of a large Coalition environment, a better understanding of the plight of the Afghan people and of how the threat of global terrorism can manifest itself. They’ll also go back with the confidence that they’ve done something to fix that problem.”

The members of the unit deployed to Afghanistan were ordinary Aussie soldiers who had just chosen to join SF.

“They’ve turned their hand to this very difficult problem and excelled, and proven themselves to be world-class soldiers. I think that with the right training every soldier back in Australia could do what’s required here and inside [SF].

“If anyone out there thinks it’s too hard to join [SF] they’re wrong. It’s all mental and quite often they convince themselves that they’re not up to the job when they are. All they’ve got to do is give it a go and the reward is being here and doing this sort of thing.”

The SF soldiers have had valuable specialist support from other elements of the Army.

“Out of the group of about 150 that we’ve got here there are a number of key appointments that have been drawn from around the Army, from about 14 units all up.

“They’ve supported the patrols that have had to go out there and do the hard yards and are very much a part of the Task Group.”
Ultimately, the Task Group commander believes SASR has got it right.

“Our training, our culture, our philosophy and our self-imposed standards are proving absolutely spot on.

“I’m pleased the story is being told. On the anniversary of September 11, our troops are still out there on the ground making a difference and that is something we can all be proud of.”

From Cpl Wade Laube
in Afghanistan

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