By NNN-Bernama
Melbourne : Fifteen Australian artillerymen, members of the 8/12 Medium Regiment, will soon head to Afghanistan where they will join a British taskforce.
They will form part of the 7th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery providing artillery support for troops engaged in operations against insurgent forces in Helmand province in the country’s south.
Army chief Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy said deployment of artillerymen in their primary role was the first time Australians had manned a gun line on operations since the Vietnam conflict.
“This deployment into a complex operational environment in support of one of our longest-standing military partners is an excellent opportunity for the Royal Australian Artillery, the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force (ADF),” he said in a statement.
Australia ’s Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said the deployment of the artillerymen was a further demonstration of Australia ‘s commitment to restoring security to Afghanistan and the ADF’s long-standing relationship with Britain ‘s Ministry of Defence.
“These soldiers have worked extremely hard in the preceding months and have formed a key component of Task Force Helmand’s fire support capability,” he said.
“I wish them all the best for their deployment and am sure that their proficiency and skills will be highly valued by the UK and International Security Assistance Force personnel they support.”
The 15 soldiers have spent the past six months training in the UK.