A big commitment

RAAF operations in Afghanistan.

When one thinks of the Australian contribution to operations in Afghanistan, the Royal Australian Air Force is not the first thing that comes to mind. Rather, one pictures Army Bushmaster Protected Vehicles patrolling dusty streets and infantrymen interacting with locals. But the RAAF has played an integral role in Australia’s operations in Afghanistan, brought to the fore by recent announcements by the Department of Defence.

The Australian Defence Force has recently announced the deployment of 65 airfield defence guards and security police to Uruzgan Province to assume security for the Multi-National Base Tarin Kot. The Security Force Element will take over from the Slovak Force Protection Platoon which has been providing security since 2010. The Security Force Element will mark the mustering’s first operational deployment since a joint Airfield Defence Guards/Infantry component in Iraq in 2004.