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Middle East

Family and friends of Petty Officer Boatswain Glen Nipperess, welcome home HMAS Ballarat following a four-month deployment, to Fleet Base West in Western Australia. Story by Lieutenant Gary McHugh. Photo by Leading Seaman Ronnie Baltoft.
Middle East News Royal Australian Navy Videos 

Ballarat welcomed home after deployment

24/08/2021 Posted by Mike Hughes 2854 Views 0 Comments

HMAS Ballarat has returned to her home port of Fleet Base West after a rigorous four-month deployment to South-East and north Asia.

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Afghan families are packed into a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster III for evacuation from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo by Sergeant Glen McCarthy.
ADF Middle East News Videos 

RAAF now packing them in at Kabul

23/08/202123/08/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2801 Views 0 Comments Evacuation of Kabul

The Royal Australian Air Force continues to evacuate Australians and Australian visa holders out of Kabul.

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Afghanistan evacuees arrive at Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East, on board a Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Jacqueline Forrester.
Australian Middle East News 

Prime Minister admits fall of Afghanistan wasn’t a surprise

22/08/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 3296 Views 0 Comments Evacuation of Kabul

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has revealed the fall of Afghanistan was not a surprise to his government – if only the speed of the fall.

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Royal Australian Air Force C-17A Globemaster pilots Flight Lieutenants Sam Stephens and Stephen Vanderdoes prepare to take off from Hamid Karzai International Airport after boarding Australian citizens and visa holders to evacuate from Afghanistan. Photo by Sergeant Glen McCarthy.
ADF Middle East News Videos 

Second Aussie C-17 out of Kabul

21/08/202121/08/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2765 Views 0 Comments Evacuation of Kabul

Video showing the evacuation of 60 Australians and Afghan visa holders from Kabul, as reported by Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday.

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Families departing Afghanistan aboard a RAAF C-17A Globemaster prepare for departure from Hamid Karzai International Airport. Photo by Leading Aircraftwoman Jacqueline Forrester.
ADF Middle East News Videos 

Aussie C-17 evacuates 40 from Kabul

20/08/202120/08/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2206 Views 0 Comments Evacuation of Kabul

Scott Morrison said today that another aircraft extracted 60 more Australians and Afghan visa holders in the Evacuation of Kabul overnight.

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Evacuees from Afghanistan disembark a Royal Air Force C-130 Hercules at Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East. Leading Aircraftwoman Jacqueline Forrester.
ADF Middle East News Videos 

UK C130 brings second evacuation of Australians from Kabul

20/08/202120/08/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2574 Views 0 Comments Evacuation of Kabul

A British C-130 Hercules brought 76 Australians and visa holder out of Kabul on Thursday 19 August for processing at

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The first of 250 New Zealand Defence Force personnel to deploy to the Middle East to join evacuation efforts from Kabul pose for a photo before departing RNZAF Base Auckland. NZDF photo.
Middle East New Zealand News Videos 

New Zealand launches Kabul evacuations deployment

19/08/202119/08/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2949 Views 0 Comments Evacuation of Kabul

An RNZAF C-130 departed Auckland this morning to assist with international efforts to evacuate foreign nationals from Kabul.

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Evacuees board the first Australian rescue flight out of Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo by Sergeant Glen McCarthy.
ADF Middle East News Videos 

First Australian evacuation flight out of Kabul

18/08/202119/08/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4709 Views 3 Comments Evacuation of Kabul

The first Australian Defence Force evacuation flight has departed Kabul with 26 evacuees on board. CAPTION: Evacuees board the first

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A contingent of Royal Australian Air Force and Australian Army personnel board a KC-30A multi-role tanker transport at RAAF Base Amberley bound for the Middle East to support evacuation efforts from Afghanistan. Photo by Corporal Brett Sherriff.
Australian Middle East News Videos 

ADF assistance in evacuation of Kabul begins

16/08/202122/08/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 6577 Views 7 Comments Evacuation of Kabul

ADF is deploying more than 250 personnel to support urgent efforts to evacuate Australian citizens and visa holders from Afghanistan.

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The Commander's Pennant for Air Task Group 630 is passed from outgoing commander Wing Commander Ric Peapell, left, to the incoming commander Wing Commander Alexander Cave. Photo by Glen McCarthy.
Middle East News Royal Australian Air Force 

Change of command for Air Task Group 630

31/07/2021 Posted by Mike Hughes 2392 Views 0 Comments

Command of Air Task Group 630 in the Middle East was on July 25 handed to Wing Commander Alexander Cave

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Participants from the RAN, United States Navy, Royal Navy and French Marine Nationale during Exercise Artemis Trident in Bahrain.
Middle East News Overseas Royal Australian Navy 

Australians pivotal to Middle East exercise

01/07/2021 Posted by Mike Hughes 2137 Views 0 Comments

RAN officers played a small but crucial part in Exercise Artemis Trident in the Middle East recently. CAPTION: Participants from the

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An ADF medical team from Camp Baird in the Middle East testing Multinational Force and Observers' members in the Sinai for COVID-19. Story by Lieutenant Commander Andrew Ragless.
ADF Middle East News 

ADF responds to COVID-19 outbreak in Egypt

02/05/2021 Posted by Mike Hughes 2275 Views 0 Comments

An Australian Defence Force medical team on April 8 deployed from Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East region to

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Corporal Jessica Healey-Render, Corporal Charles Munns, Private Maddison Van Sitter – all recognised for their actions following a deadly rocket attack at Taji Military Camp in March 2020. NZDF photo.
Middle East New Zealand News Operations 

Three Kiwi soldiers recognised for actions after deadly Taji rocket attack

22/04/202122/04/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 20195 Views 1 Comment

Three New Zealand Army personnel have been recognised for their courageous actions in a rocket attack on the Taji Military

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Members of Australia's Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) prepare to fly into Oruzgan's Baluchi Valley and Chora regions in support of an MTF1 mission, in 2010. Photo by Lieutenant Aaron Oldaker.
Australian Army Middle East News Operations Veterans 

Defence Minister overturns Meritorious Unit Citation revocation

19/04/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 10533 Views 0 Comments

Minister for Defence has overruled the CDF’s threat to revoke Meritorious Unit Citations for SOTG in Afghanistan.

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Australian Army soldiers from Special Operations Task Group prepare for a mission at Multi-National Base Tarin Kowt, Uruzgan province, southern Afghanistan, in 2012.
Australian Middle East News Operations 

Australia to end military mission in Afghanistan

15/04/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 4202 Views 3 Comments

Australia announced today it will end its contribution to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan by September this year.

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Australian 'Rats of Tobruk' dug in for the fight.
Australian History Middle East News 

80th anniversary of the siege that spawned ‘The Rats of Tobruk’

10/04/202110/04/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2858 Views 0 Comments

On 10/11 April 2021, we commemorate 80 years since the start of a port siege in Libya – and the birth of ‘The Rats of Tobruk’.

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New Zealand Defence Force personnel lower the New Zealand National Flag in Kabul for the last time. NZDF photo.
Middle East New Zealand News 

NZDF pulls down flag for last time on 20-year deployment

29/03/2021 Posted by Brian Hartigan 2393 Views 0 Comments

All New Zealand Defence Force personnel in Afghanistan are home, having lowered the flag on NZDF’s 20-year deployment to the country.

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Major Justin Tomlinson, left, signs over authority to Major Simon Watch, right, with Commander JTF633 Rear Admiral Michael Rothwell. Photo by Sergeant Ben Dempster.
ADF Middle East News 

Change in Middle East communications

27/02/2021 Posted by Mike Hughes 1825 Views 0 Comments

The responsibility for ADF communications in the Middle East was on February 22 transferred from one unit to another. CAPTION:

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Ros Radburn, left, Glen Bouwman, Carmel Ryan, Jacqui Stuart and Luke Collison on Operation Accordion in the Middle East region. Photo by Sergeant Ben Dempster.
Australian Middle East News Operations 

Defence public servants on operations

19/02/202102/03/2021 Posted by Mike Hughes 3609 Views 0 Comments

Serving alongside ADF personnel, five Defence public servants are deployed on Operation Accordion in the Middle East.

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Commander of the Maritime Task Group – Middle East Region Captain Bruce Willington, left, presents the rigid hull inflatable boat to Bahrain Defence Force Captain Adel Salem Almeeri.
ADF Middle East News 

Australia gifts boat to Bahrain

19/02/2021 Posted by Mike Hughes 2398 Views 0 Comments

The ADF gifted a rigid hull inflatable boat to the Bahrain Defence Force on February 16. CAPTION: Commander of the Maritime

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