Australian Troop Presence In Afghanistan: A Comprehensive Overview

Australia's mission in Afghanistan lasted from 2001 to 2021 and supported coalition efforts to contain the threat of international terrorism and support the Afghan government. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) worked alongside the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to build their defence, security, and counter-terrorism forces. The ADF's involvement in Afghanistan has been known as Operation Slipper (2001-2014) and Operation Highroad (2015-2021). Over the course of these operations, more than 25,000 Australians served in Afghanistan, with 3,000 of them being special forces.

The number of Australian soldiers deployed in Afghanistan over the years

Australia's mission in Afghanistan, which lasted from 2001 to 2021, supported coalition efforts to contain the threat of international terrorism and assist the Afghan government. The Australian Defence Force (ADF) worked alongside the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces to build their defence, security, and counter-terrorism forces, with the aim of denying terrorist organisations safe havens.

The ADF's involvement in Afghanistan has been known as Operation Slipper (2001-2014) and Operation Highroad (2015-2021). The number of Australian soldiers deployed to Afghanistan varied over the years, with different phases of the operations requiring different levels of personnel and resources.

During the initial phase of Operation Slipper, the ADF commitment included a Special Forces Task Group and air support from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The Special Forces were involved in the establishment of the US-led coalition's first Forward Operating Base and the capture of Kandahar International Airport in 2001. The ADF commitment during this early phase concluded in December 2002, with a small presence remaining until 2005.

In 2005, a Special Forces Task Group was redeployed to Afghanistan, along with elements from the SASR, the Royal Australian Regiment, and logistic support personnel. This group was withdrawn in September 2006, and by mid-2007, the number of Australian personnel in Afghanistan had increased to 950, with further small increases in the following years.

In early 2009, Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams were embedded with the Afghan National Army battalions in Uruzgan, and the ADF presence continued to evolve with the addition of combat teams, logistics units, and special operations groups. By March 2011, approximately 1,550 Australians were deployed to Afghanistan.

The last combat troops were withdrawn in December 2013, but a contingent of around 400 personnel remained as trainers and advisers until 2021. The final ADF personnel and diplomats departed Afghanistan in June 2021, marking the end of a two-decade-long involvement in the country.

Overall, more than 25,000 Australian troops, including 3,000 special forces, were deployed to Afghanistan in rotations from 2005 to 2016. Some sources state that around 30,000 ADF personnel served in Afghanistan, while others mention a figure of over 40,000 ADF personnel who served in or directly supported operations since 2001.

The role of the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been involved in two major areas of activity in Afghanistan: land operations and support operations in the Persian Gulf. The ADF has deployed naval, air, and land forces that have taken part in combat and combat support operations as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

The ADF's commitment to Afghanistan has varied over time, with the size of the force and the scope of operations evolving. During the initial phase of Operation Slipper, which began in late 2001 and ended on December 31, 2014, the ADF contributed a Special Forces Task Group and two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Boeing 707 air-to-air refuelling aircraft. These aircraft provided support to coalition aircraft operating in Afghan airspace. The ADF also contributed to maritime patrol missions in the Persian Gulf with two RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft.

In 2005, an Australian Special Forces Task Group was redeployed to Afghanistan, consisting of elements from the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando), and the Incident Response Regiment, among others. This task group was withdrawn in September 2006, and a Reconstruction Taskforce was deployed to Uruzgan Province in southern Afghanistan in September 2006.

A 300-strong Special Operations Task Group was deployed in April 2007 to support the Reconstruction Taskforce, bringing the total number of Australian personnel in Afghanistan to 950 by mid-2007. This number gradually increased, with further deployments of Operational Mentoring and Liaison Teams (OMLTs) and other units.

The ADF was also involved in counter-insurgency operations in Uruzgan province, working alongside Dutch, US, and other coalition forces. In 2010, the Reconstruction Taskforce was renamed the Mentoring Task Force, focusing on motorised infantry and cavalry operations.

By March 2011, approximately 1,550 Australians were deployed to Afghanistan, including elements such as the National Command Element, Mentoring Task Force 2, Special Operations Task Group, and Rotary Wing Group.

The last combat troops were withdrawn in December 2013, but a contingent of around 400 personnel remained in Afghanistan as trainers and advisers, stationed in Kandahar and Kabul.

Operation Highroad commenced in January 2015, marking a shift towards supporting the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. The ADF worked alongside the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces to build their defence, security, and counter-terrorism capabilities, with a focus on denying safe havens to terrorist organisations.

The ADF's involvement in Afghanistan concluded in June 2021, with the departure of the last ADF personnel and diplomats. Throughout the years of ADF involvement in Afghanistan, over 26,000 Australian personnel served in the country.

The war crimes allegedly committed by Australian soldiers in Afghanistan

Australia's mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021 supported coalition efforts to contain the threat from international terrorism and support the Afghan Government. During this period, more than 25,000 Australians served in Afghanistan, 3,000 of them special forces, in rotations from 2005 to 2016.

In 2016, an inquiry was launched into allegations that some Australian special forces personnel committed war crimes in Afghanistan between 2005 and 2016. The inquiry, led by New South Wales Justice Paul Brereton, found "'credible information'" that Australian soldiers murdered innocent civilians during the conflict in Afghanistan. The report detailed a "'warrior culture'" embraced by some of the force, with patrol commanders requiring junior soldiers to shoot prisoners to achieve their first kill. It also alleged that troops planted weapons on slain civilians and civilians who ran were executed.

The report identified 25 current or former ADF personnel involved in the incidents, including people who were "accessories" to the incidents. Of those 25, 19 were directly implicated in the murder of 39 prisoners and civilians, and the cruel treatment of 2 others. The report also noted that some soldiers were ordered by their patrol commanders to kill prisoners.

In March 2023, a former member of the Australian military was charged with a war crime over the killing of an Afghan civilian. The 41-year-old man, identified as Oliver Schulz, was the first serving or former member of the Australian military to face war crimes charges. If found guilty, he faces a life sentence.

The Australian Defence Force Chief, General Angus Campbell, offered an apology for "any wrongdoing by Australian soldiers" and announced that the 2nd Squadron of the Special Air Service Regiment would be disbanded as a result of the investigation. He also stated that the findings underlined issues with culture, command, and reporting within the ADF.

The impact of the war in Afghanistan on the Australian Army

The war in Afghanistan has profoundly changed the Australian Army and had a significant impact on the whole defence force. Australia's mission in Afghanistan supported coalition efforts to contain the threat from international terrorism and support the Afghan Government.

Around 30,000 ADF personnel served in Afghanistan and 41 died there. The vast majority of them fought and worked with great courage and decency, many living in small, isolated patrol bases in remote valleys with the Afghan soldiers they mentored. They fought, and some died, alongside these soldiers.

Even when trust was broken by 'insider' killings of Australian and other allied soldiers by disaffected Afghan personnel, the Diggers persevered. Soldiers who ran technical training programs were immensely proud of the tradesmen they trained. Those who built schools and clinics took pride in introducing visitors to young Afghan doctors who worked there, tending to long lines of sick and injured.

Diggers who built or repaired schools were proud that local kids, especially girls, were being educated there. There were hope-filled periods when the region around Kabul was calm enough for journalists and other visitors to go to local markets without an armed escort.

However, there was another war going on in the mountains and valleys, where Australian and allied special forces battled through dangerous operations in a conflict fought in darkness and out of sight of the media and the world at large. A small minority of them got out of control. This became a true corporal's war in which junior NCOs had the authority of kings.

When concerns were raised about possible unlawful killings, the army ordered its own investigations. What they uncovered was disturbing. Something had gone badly wrong on the Afghanistan missions—a deep-seated and distorted warrior ethos permeated parts of the SAS and an entrenched culture of impunity had taken hold. There were ‘catastrophic cultural and professional shortfalls’ within Special Operations Command (SOCOMD) and ‘corrosive’ friction between the major special forces units, the SAS Regiment and the commandos. Under the pressure of 20 intense rotations in Afghanistan over 11 years, the special forces had become isolated from the rest of the army.

The Afghanistan inquiry identified serious problems with the military's investigations. It described a "warrior culture" embraced by some of the force. It alleges patrol commanders required junior soldiers to shoot a prisoner to achieve a first kill, and that troops planted weapons on slain Afghan civilians. It recommends criminal investigations into 23 incidents involving 19 individuals.

The war taught the army about the necessity for the war fighter and intelligence to be tightly integrated. It led to major technological advances by Australian soldiers and engineers to deal with weapons such as improvised bombs. Those innovations will save lives in wars and peacekeeping missions all over the world.

The number of Australian casualties in Afghanistan

The Australian Defence Force's (ADF) involvement in Afghanistan has resulted in a significant number of casualties, with 41 Australian soldiers killed and 261 wounded. The majority of these casualties occurred since October 2007. The ADF's first combat death since the Vietnam War was Sergeant Andrew Russell, who died after his vehicle struck a landmine in February 2002. The most recent casualties occurred in June 2013, when Corporal Cameron Stewart Baird was killed in small arms fire during an engagement with insurgents.

The ADF's casualties include members of various regiments and units, such as the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR), the Commando Regiment, and the Incident Response Regiment. The nature of the casualties varies and includes small arms fire, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), rocket attacks, helicopter crashes, and friendly fire incidents.

In addition to the ADF's casualties, one Australian serving with the British Army was also killed in Afghanistan. The total number of Australians who have died as a result of their service in Afghanistan is reported to be over 40, with hundreds more wounded.

The ADF's involvement in Afghanistan has been through operations such as Operation Slipper (2001-2014) and Operation Highroad (2015-2021). Over 26,000 ADF personnel have served in Afghanistan, with their roles including combat, counter-insurgency, training and advisory missions, and support for the Afghan government and security forces.

The ADF's experience in Afghanistan has been marked by allegations of unlawful killings and war crimes, with investigations uncovering evidence of serious misconduct by a small minority of soldiers. The impact of the conflict on the ADF has been profound, with a significant number of veterans taking their own lives since returning home.

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