Thought some of you might like to know this... Considering it was your country attacked...and we responded 100% to your needs...then this poor b*stard dying should mean as much to you as any of your 'own' who die... RIP mate. Australian soldier killed by landmine AAP 17feb02 AUSTRALIA has suffered its first casualty in the war on terror, with a special forces soldier killed by a landmine in Afghanistan. The soldier, a member of the Perth-based Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), died of injuries he received when his vehicle ran over an anti-tank mine late yesterday, army chief Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove said today. The soldier was apparently the only occupant of the vehicle which was leading a convoy. No-one else was injured. Gen Cosgrove said the SASR soldiers' role in Afghanistan involved special reconnaissance to seek out and observe weapons dumps left by retreating Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. "Any place where there are landmines constitutes a danger to all concerned. In this case the military tend to operate in areas of highest danger for obvious reasons," he told reporters. "Our soldiers over there have been working extraordinarily hard to remove the instruments of terror and war, arms caches, military equipment, left behind in abundance. "These are obviously focal points where mines are emplaced by evil people. "We all mourn the death of a good and brave soldier." Gen Cosgrove said the incident happened about 11pm (AEDT) yesterday (4.30pm local time). The soldier was seriously injured when his vehicle, an army Landrover patrol vehicle, struck an anti-vehicle mine. Colleagues at the scene administered emergency first aid. An hour later the US military parachuted in a medical team comprising a surgeon and three medics. He was evacuated by US combat search and rescue helicopter to a US medical facility at the southern Afghanistan city of Kandahar but died soon after arrival. Gen Cosgrove said he could not reveal details of the activity the SASR soldiers were engaged in for operational reasons. He said the soldier's family had requested his name be withheld at this stage. In January another SAS soldier received serious injuries to his foot when he trod on an anti-personnel landmine. He is now recuperating in Perth. Gen Cosgrove said the issue of landmine awareness had been reviewed after the last incident and it had been concluded that the training was outstanding and no change was needed. Labor defence spokesman Chris Evans expressed his deepest sympathies to the man's family and friends. "It underlines the hazards of the operation in Afghanistan," he said in a statement. "It is a reminder of the courage that all Australian servicemen and women possess who serve their country in Afghanistan and the risks of injury and death that Australians face at all times when serving in military operations overseas."
We appreciate your country's and this young mans efforts. But, what is up with the tone of your post? Geez.
Haere ra. (ScreamingRocketJet's country - and its loyalty - was inaccurately insulted in another thread. His tone was perfectly warranted.)
Thanks Dimsie...and I aploigise for my tone. One idiot shouldn't make me think that way of all Americans...the majority of you are cool The death of the soldier became even sadder this morning when his details were revealed... I am 31 and my wife is 28. I guess in about two years we will have kids...like him and his wife did. I can't think of anything worse than dying and leaving my wife to cope alone + never seeing my baby born. Very sad Mine victim had newborn daughter By Sid Marris, Roger Martin and Andrew McGarry The Australian 18feb02 A TWO-WEEK-OLD baby girl will never meet her father after he was killed by a landmine in Afghanistan over the weekend – the first death of an Australian soldier in the war on terrorism. Andrew Russell, a 33-year-old career soldier from the elite SAS Regiment, who joined the army as a teenager, was leading a convoy when his four-wheel-drive hit an anti-tank mine in southern Afghanistan. Friends and family gathered yesterday at Russell's Perth home to console wife Kylie, just weeks after she gave birth to Leisa Abigail. Russell's parents, who live in Adelaide's northern suburbs, would not comment last night. A note taped next to the front door of their house read: "To the media: Please respect our privacy at this sad time." Four other soldiers in the four-wheel-drive when it hit the mine at 11pm Australian time on Saturday (4.30pm in Afghanistan) escaped injury and immediately started treating Russell. A special US surgical team – consisting of a surgeon and three medics – parachuted into the site an hour later, before a US combat search-and-rescue helicopter lifted Russell to an American field hospital in Khandahar. Chief of the Army Lieutenant-General Peter Cosgrove said yesterday that despite the rescue efforts the soldier died a short time after his arrival. "We all mourn the death of a good and brave soldier," he said. General Cosgrove said his SAS colleagues would be shocked but would get on with job. "Any place where there are landmines constitutes a danger to all concerned. In this case the military tends to operate in areas of highest danger for obvious reasons," he said. "Our soldiers over there have been working extraordinarily hard to remove the instruments of terror and war, arms caches, military equipment left behind in abundance. "These are obviously focal points where mines are placed by evil people." Another soldier was maimed by a landmine in Afghanistan a month ago and is now back in Australia. There are an estimated 10 million mines exist in Afghanistan, a country with the highest number of injuries from the weapon every year. John Howard said the death was an awful reminder of the risks faced by Australia's military personnel. "The loss of any life in the defence of this country is tragic," the Prime Minister said. "But there is a resolve to continue with the fight against terrorism." Opposition Leader Simon Crean said: "Australia as a whole has joined the war on terror but it is the families that bear the greatest burden." After the previous landmine incident procedures were reviewed and military commanders decided that they were "excellent". Another review would be now conducted. "We found that the soldiers had excellent mine training and we of course have ordered them to be especially alert, probably words that were gratuitous because they are very well trained and very well aware soldiers," he said. "But we did explore the extent of our mine training and satisfied ourselves that they had a very high level of mine awareness." The operations in Afghanistan have involved reconnaissance and destruction of Taliban and al-Qa'ida arms and supplies caches but with no direct battles.
Not a farking single word at CNN.COM about our bloke dying If an American was killed, would it have been given so little publicity? Of course not. Geez this pisses me off... No disrespect, but your media are the most insular, self obsessed a$$holes i have ever seen.
+ SRJ- I have to agree with you about the US Media (although it will probably make me unpopular among the members on this Board). In Australia we hear about EVERY casualty/injury suffered by an American soldier overseas, but I rarely read or hear (via the Net) about the US Allies getting injured or killed. True, the Net is only one media source, and the only US Broadcasted news in Australia is shown in the early hours of the morning, so I can't comment on the TV Coverage or Newspaper reports on this issue. This post also mentioned someone 'innacurately insulting' Australia in an earlier thread, does anyone have a link to it? I would like to read it (purely out of interest).
I believe Treeman suggested allies were abandoning the US as the conflict moves beyond Afghanistan. Although it didn't seem to be going that way until ScreamingJet and Treeman got into an apparent pissing contest. I think it was the Axis of Evil thread. Please note that there are plenty of posters who express mucho gratitude for our Allies support, especially Australia and Britain, and you've seen in this particular thread.
