Image Gallery 2009
23 April 2009
Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team Patrol during OP Shak Haliwel
The Kakarak region, north of the main Australian base at Tarin Kowt, is one of the last insurgent outposts in the Tarin Kowt bowl. Operation Shak Hawel, which occurred in the first weeks of April, 2009 saw the Operation Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLT), the Afghan National Army (ANA) and Combat Team Tusk conduct aggressive patrolling and cordon and searches to reduce the insurgent freedom of movement in this region.
OMLT Team 3 and their ANA partners who are based at Patrol Base Buman, moved from their base west into the Area of Operations, moving through the lush green zone which has bloomed with the coming of summer. The patrols extended the security presence in the region and with the support of ANA Engineers, trained by their Australian brethren conducted searches on compounds of interest, where they used their new skills to check for explosives and weapons caches.
The Australian soldiers are drawn from the Darwin based 7th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment. They are partnered with the ANA 2nd Kandak (Battalion) from the 4th “Hero” Brigade.
| 20090408adf8185016_0044 Corporal Philip Tisdall, an Army Medic serving with an Operational and Mentoring Liaison Team, takes up his position in a security cordon as Australian soldiers and their Afghan National Army partners search a local compound for insurgent weapons and explosive caches. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090408adf8185016_0100 An Afghan elder passes a joint Australian and Afghan National Army patrol as they move through his village in the Kakarak region of Uruzgan Province, during Operation Shak Haliwel. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0002 Private Joshua Murphy, serving with the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team based at Patrol Base Buman, prepares to leave their base during Operation Shak Haliwel. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0016 Private Callan Moore reminds one of his Afghan Army partners of the correct spacing and formations as a joint Australian and Afghan Army patrol leaves Patrol Base Buman in Uruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan. Private Moore is a member of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team based at the Patrol Base. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0032 Private Callan Moore carrying an F89 Minimi machine gun leads Afghan National Army soldiers during a patrol in support of Operation Shak Haliwel in the Kakarak region of Uruzgan Province. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0044 A joint Australian Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team and Afghan National Army patrol climb across one of the barren hills surrounding the lush green zone in the Kakarak region of southern Afghanistan. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0063 Private Callan Moore mentors an Afghan National Army soldier on selecting the best firing position as the patrol they are on secures a quala (local national compound) prior to the building being searched for insurgent caches. The patrol is being conducted as part of Operation Shak Haliwel. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0071 Bombardier Daniel Nicholls moves through a village in the Kakarak region of Uruzgan Province as part of a joint Australian and Afghan Army patrol. Lance Bombardier Nichols is a member of the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team from the 1st mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0081 Australian trained Afghan National Army Engineers rush into a compound of interest, where they will search the dwelling for hidden insurgent weapons and explosives. Watching the soldiers he trained is Australian Army Engineer, Corporal Michael Cole. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0129 Bombardier Daniel Nicholls communicates via his radio with offensive support assets supporting Operation Shak Haliwel. Offensive Support can be provided by artillery, helicopters or fast jet aircraft and it is the job of artillerymen such as Lance Bombardier Nichols to coordinate these assets when they are called on. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0134 Bombardier Daniel Nicholls scans the surrounding countryside for any sign of an insurgent threat during an Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team patrol with the Afghan National Army during Operation Shak Haliwel. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0157 Australian and Afghan soldiers cross an improvised bridge cum water pipe, during a patrol in the Kakarak region of southern Afghanistan. The challenge of crossing the round drums was only exacerbated by the long fall if their footing failed. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0169 Private Joshua Murphy moves into a secure position, after successfully crossing the obstacle posed by an improvised 44 gallon drum bridge whilst patrolling with the Afghan National Army during Operation Shak Haliwel in southern Afghanistan. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0176 Corporal Michael Cole, an Australian Army Engineer, watches as his former students put their training to the test. The Afghan National Army Engineers are searching an abandoned compound for insurgent weapons caches. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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| 20090411adf8185016_0186 With their day’s objectives achieved, a joint Afghan and Australian Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team force begin to patrol back to their shared home at Patrol Base Buman. (Date taken: 11 March 2009) Low-Res | Hi-Res |
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