April 17, 2014
Locals have been encouraged to reflect on the courage of Australian men and women either privately or by attending one of Gippsland’s ANZAC Day ceremonies next Friday, April 25.
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Darren Chester said Australia’s military history and contribution to international peace are rightly revered.
“Since East Timor in 1999 there have been almost 72,000 ADF members who have been deployed overseas, often in complex and extremely dangerous environments,” Mr Chester said.
“40 Australian Defence Force (ADF) members have been killed and 261 have been wounded during Australia’s operations in Afghanistan.
“For some of our veterans, mental and physical injuries resulting from their military service will last a lifetime.”
Mr Chester said there are approximately 2,000 ADF personnel currently deployed overseas, which is comparatively fewer than in previous years.
This is due to the completion of missions in East Timor and the Solomon Islands, and the continued drawdown of forces in Afghanistan.
Mr Chester said he has had the opportunity to spend many hours with the men and women of the ADF over the last six months and has enjoyed listening to their stories.
“Today’s service men and women have unique stories from their deployments. I have learnt that while many things have changed since 1915, many aspects of service life remain the same.”
“I’m constantly impressed by their professionalism, dedication, courage and sense of patriotism. They are willing to put themselves in harm’s to protect others, both here and abroad. It is a dedication to service that provides an unbroken link to the original ANZACs.
Mr Chester said that one of the best ways to get to know more about Australia’s younger veterans was to attend an ANZAC Day ceremony.