Login
iscover
One year on from the fall of Kabul, Australians remember the service of the 39,000 ADF and civilian personnel who contributed to the campaigns, the Afghans who served with Australian forces, and the Afghan community.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
Just one year ago, Australian Defence Force personnel and civilian detachments took part in a humanitarian mission to evacuate Australian passport and visa holders from Kabul.
The evacuation marked a definitive end to Australia’s 20 years of service in the country, operating across NATO-led counterterrorism and insurgency campaigns, military training taskings and capability building operations.
Forty-one Australians paid the ultimate sacrifice on operations in Afghanistan.
Across the country, Australians remember the sacrifices of Australian defence and civilian personnel who served in Afghanistan and those who served with Australians still in the country.
“Some of our people continue to live with lasting physical and mental scars, and tragically we have lost more of our people since they returned home,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles reflected.
He acknowledged the efforts of those who took part in last year’s humanitarian operation.
“The fall of Kabul led to one of Australia’s largest humanitarian evacuations,” he wrote.
“Over a nine-day period, officials from the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Home Affairs, along with Australian Border Force and the ADF, worked together to facilitate the safe movement of around 4,100 people out of Kabul on 32 flights. The work to ensure safe departures from Afghanistan continues.”
Veteran and shadow assistant minister for Defence Phillip Thompson this week paid his respects to 1RAR for last year’s humanitarian evacuation.
“This was no ordinary deployment. In the face of extreme danger, brave soldiers from Townsville’s 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, along with other attachments, put themselves in harm’s way to rescue others,” he wrote.
“Despite the images of chaos being beamed around the world – pictures of men, women and children clinging to aircraft trying to escape the Taliban, and the ever-present threat of terrorist attack – our men and women answered the call to service without question.
“The selfless actions of those who deployed enabled the rescue of 4,100 people – Australian citizens and refugees – from a life of oppression at the hands of an illegitimate government. While the Afghan people may have lost their city and country, our ADF ensured that they did not lose their lives.”
This last week, communities reflected on the fall in different ways across the country.
The anniversary was marked by a special tribute at Jezzine Barracks in Townsville, with diplomat and folk singer Fred Smith joining the 1RAR band to reflect on Australia’s 20 years of service to Afghanistan and the recent humanitarian mission.
“Despite the many challenges during evacuation mission, the Australian team managed to get 4,100 people out, most of whom are now living in Australia. Their girls and boys are going to school and having swimming lessons. We’ve changed people’s lives,” said Smith.
“This is a story worth telling.”
[Related: PODCAST: Remembering the fall of Kabul, with Fred Smith]
