Image Gallery 2009
25 February 2009
Living in a patrol base
Many of the Australian troops serving with the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force live and work in a group of patrol bases spread throughout Uruzgan Province.
These bases, operated by the Australian Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams, their Afghan National Army counterparts and other contributing nations, are the outposts ensuring that the areas they are responsible for are secure and can look forward to better access to reconstruction and aid efforts.
The patrol bases also provide a temporary home for other forces as they conduct operations in support of 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force missions. The bases are constantly improved by Australian engineers and require logistical support given their distances from the main base at Tarin Kowt.
| 20090109ara8502859_0041 Sapper Christoper Burdon, a plant operator, guides a forklift as he and his fellow engineers remove stores prior to commencing winterstation works at a patrol base in the Baluchi Valley, southern Afghanistan. (Date taken: 09 January 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090109ara8502859_0136 Dwarfed by the mountains of southern Afghanistan the soldiers and vehicles of the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force take up positions in a forward patrol base in the Baluchi Valley. The Australian forces have moved north from their base in Tarin Kowt to commence a clearance of the valley called Operation Tura Ghar. (Date taken: 09 January 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090109ara8502859_0139 An Army Armoured Skid Steer Loader moves through a joint Australian, Afghan base in Uruzgan Province. The plant equipment and its engineer operator are conducting base improvements to combat the harsh Afghan winter. (Date taken: 09 January 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090109ara8502859_0167 Australian armoured fighting and reconstruction vehicles share the space at a patrol base in southern Afghanistan. (Date taken: 09 January 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090109ara8502859_0168 Australian armoured fighting and reconstruction vehicles share the space at a patrol base in southern Afghanistan. (Date taken: 09 January 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090110ara8502859_0049 Australian soldiers from the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force unload supplies at a patrol base in southern Afghanistan. (Date taken: 10 January 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090110ara8502859_0067 The sun rises over an Australian and Afghan patrol base in the Baluchi Valley, southern Afghanistan. The patrol base is the home to an Australian Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team contingent and their Afghan National Army counterparts. The team is one of the elements making up the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. |
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| 20090110ara8502859_0074 An Australian Light Armoured Vehicle (ASLAV) in the "fitter" configuration provides some extra fire power to the exterior wall of a patrol base in the Baluchi Valley, southern Afghanistan, during Operation Tura Ghar. The fitter ASLAV is designed to repair and recover vehicles in a high threat environment and is one of the Combat Service and Support Team elements of the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. (Date taken: 10 January 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090110ara8502859_0076 A heavily armoured Mack truck from the 1st Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force moves supplies through a patrol base in the Baluchi Valley, during Operation Tura Ghar. (Date taken: 10 January 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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