Alex Gallacher (SA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

If you are going to fly anywhere with a Greens senator, it is in a Black Hawk next to the machine gunner! Those sorts of experiences will live with me until the day I die. It was an extremely great experience. We were given full and frank briefings by senior officers across all facets of the operation in Uruzgan province. We were afforded, as I said, the same accommodation and mess facilities as every soldier serving in Afghanistan. I spoke to soldiers from all units of our contingent and was impressed by the pride and commitment that our young men and women have in serving our country. We had a mock drill with a regimental sergeant major who said, 'Over here, sir! Into this gear.' Within minutes I was in the bomb disposal kit, which is extremely onerous to wear. I was in a very temperate situation that day. It was not 50 degrees, but I found walking with 40 or 50 kilos of gear towards an IED an extremely confronting experience.

The real lesson that I learned is that our soldiers are well trained, well equipped and facing a ferocious enemy, yet daily they exhibited courage that we at home take for granted. Probably the biggest thing that I learned in my short time in Afghanistan was the absolute commitment of our people, the courage of our people, their wanting to do their job well, to serve their country well, to look after each other each and every day and to get home at the end of each day in one piece, with all their crew intact. My heart goes out to those soldiers who are now serving under the most difficult of circumstances, where the people they are trying to help are not exactly returning the favour. So more power to their arm, and I am greatly appreciative of the opportunity.

Senate adjourned at 19:27