Australians honoured by US Marine Corps

Naval

29 January 2018

By: Reporter

The Commanding General, Marine Forces Pacific, Lieutenant General David Berger, USMC speaks with members of Australian Clearance Diving Team One following the presentation a US Meritorious Unit Commendation aboard HMAS Adelaide. Image via Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence.

The United States Marine Corps has awarded a rare honour to 107 Australian Defence Force members who helped recover a US Marine Corps aircraft that crashed and sank off the north Queensland coast late last year.

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Navy, Army and Air force personnel have been awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation by the head of the US Marine Corps in the Pacific, Lieutenant General David Berger, during his visit to the Royal Australian Navy amphibious ship HMAS Adelaide.

The ADF was called into action last year when an MV-22 Osprey crashed into the Coral Sea near Rockhampton on 6 August 2017. The aircraft was carrying 26 American service members and, tragically, one pilot and two other Marines were killed in the incident.

Over the following fortnight, the Australians worked with US Marines and the US Navy to locate the aircraft and support the recovery operation. A total of 14 dives were conducted on the Osprey by an Australian Navy dive team in sometimes difficult conditions.

Minister for Defence, Senator Marise Payne, said LtGen Berger’s decision to present this award in person showed the strength of Australia's relationship with the US.

"The United States Meritorious Unit Commendation is a great honour for our service members and the Australian public can be proud of what our people achieved," Minister Payne said.

"The support we provided to the US Marine Corps is a testament to our relationship with the United States.

"The commendation praises the Australians’ 'unrelenting perseverance and unfailing devotion to duty' and their actions are in the finest traditions of the ADF."

The commendation has been presented to members of Maritime Operations, Australian Clearance Diving Team One, Australian Mine Warfare Team Sixteen (HMAS Waterhen in Sydney), Navy Hydrographic Ship Crew Blue embarked in HMAS Melville (based at HMAS Cairns), and to members of the Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group.