Our People in NSW
Sebastian Hardie - South Golden Beach Boy In Afghanistan
There is plenty of sand but not much surf for local man Sebastian Hardie, 19. The Army gunner is serving on the final deployment of the Australian Artillery detachment in support of British-led troops in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Australian gunners like Sebastian have been supporting the British task force for the past three years but this is expected to be the last Australian detachment to serve in Helmand Province.
For Sebastian, it has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to apply his training in an operational environment.
“If the troops get pinned down out on the ground by the insurgents, we can fire the guns and make a difference on the battlefield,” said Sebastian.
Sebastian and his comrades trained with the British 7th Parachute Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery in England for six months before deploying to Afghanistan in September 2010.
The Queenslander hasn’t enjoyed the cold Afghan winter much, so he is happy the days are warming up.
“The winter months were freezing and the cold really tested everyone!” Sebastian said.
The living conditions at the patrol bases are harsh with no running water or washing facilities. The soldiers wash their clothes by hand and every few days have a wash using three bottles of water.
Sebastian is looking forward to getting home after such a long time away and getting back to his hobbies of surfing and cliff diving.
“I just can’t wait to get back to see how proud my family is of me and to see all the other boys that got back from the other Aussie Task Force,” Sebastian said.
Note: Gunner is an artillery rank, the equivalent of Private in the infantry, or Trooper in armoured units.