DIGGERS OPEN VITAL HIGHWAY IN AFGHANISTAN

The Minister for Defence, the Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP, announced today that soldiers from Reconstruction Task Force 4 (RTF4) recently deployed to Zabol and Ghazni Provinces in southern Afghanistan to complete one of their most important missions.

Soldiers from RTF 4’s Combat Team Dagger deployed over 400 kilometres from their base in Tarin Kowt to rebuild two bridges previously damaged by the Taliban and reopen the main highway between Kabul and Kandahar.

“ISAF requested that RTF4 complete this important task as no other units in Afghanistan were available to carry out the dual Security and Engineering tasks required for this specific operation,” Minister Fitzgibbon said.

 “Combat Team Dagger fought through a Taliban attack, heat and sandstorms, operating in a highly dangerous area to complete this operation.

“The successful completion of this mission is testament to the courage, skill and tenacity of the soldiers of RTF4.  They have significantly improved the lives of the Afghan population in these areas and have provided a unique capability to ISAF.

They should be proud of their achievement,” Minister Fitzgibbon said.

Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Yeaman, Commanding Officer of the Reconstruction Task Force in Afghanistan, said that the Combat Team’s achievement is significant as they completed the two-week operation independently far from their normal area of operations.

“We had expected each bridge to take around four days but the Combat Engineers and Assault Pioneers built them in half that time, and the Infantry and Cavalry provided the team with a first class security screen to work behind,” Lieutenant Colonel Yeaman said. 

“The Team was assisted by Dutch, Romanian and American forces that operate in the area, and members of the Afghanistan National Army assisted our forces with security on the sites.

“It was a significant task just to get to there, as the attack by the Taliban on our armoured column to the site shows. Thankfully the team came through the firefight unscathed and completed the operation with distinction.”

Media Note:

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Media contacts:

Christian Taubenschlag (Joel Fitzgibbon):  02 6277 7800 or 0438 595 567

Defence Media Liaison:  02 6265 3343 or 0408 498 664