Contact 12

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FIGHTING IN SECRET Riding high on a bar stool, sharing a cold beer with some friends in the media/marketing section of a nondefence department recently – many of whom are astute media watchers – I was told, in all seriousness, that “our soldiers in Afghanistan are sitting on a protected base, flying the flag for politics, far from the dangers of any real fighting. Aren’t they?”

AUSSIE SOLDIERS SURVIVE A YEAR AT THE TRIGGER

WORDS BRIAN HARTIGAN PICS ADF

AUSTRALIAN SPECIAL FORCES TASK GROUP OPERATION SLIPPER, AFGHANISTAN Days deployed

395

Days on patrol outside secure base

306

Number of patrols or missions

100+

Number of fights with the enemy

139

Offensive air-support missions called in

217

Australians Killed in Action

0

Australians Wounded in Action

11

WORDS BRIAN HARTIGAN PICS ADF

RARELY A DAY WENT BY WHERE THERE WAS NOT SOME SORT OF CONTACT WITH THE ENEMY

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