Photos Coalition Forces In Afghanistan

June - August 2010. Two soldiers from 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR), return from a patrol to Patrol Base Razaq in Uruzgan Province.

Australia:
L to R, Commandos Tim Aplin, Mervin McDonald & Cameron Baird VC, MG with their LRPV in Afghanistan. All three of these men would later be killed in separate incidents.

Corporal Cameron Baird VC, MG would be killed on June 22 2013 on his 4th tour of duty in Afghanistan whilst assaulting a heavily fortified enemy building, an action that he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for Australia for, becoming the 100th Australian to be awarded the commonwealths highest honour for gallantry.

Lance Corporal Mervin McDonald would be killed in a night time helicopter crash along with another commando and American helicopter crew on August 30 2012 on his 6th tour of Duty in Afghanistan.

Private Timothy Aplin would be killed along with 2 other Commandos in a helicopter crash on June 21 2010 on his 2nd tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Canada:
Leopard C2 damaged by IED

June 6th, 2007 Lance Corporal Paul 'Sandy' Sandford, aged 23 from Nottingham, and 1st Battalion The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters, was shot and killed whilst on patrol in the Upper Gereshk Valley area of Helmand Province

Australia:
Sapper Darren Smith, and his Explosive Detection Dog Herbie. Both were killed in action whilst serving in Afghanistan on the 7th of June 2010.
Originally from Adelaide, Darren enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2001, and transferred to the ARA in 2004 where he was posted to 1st Combat Engineer Regiment (1CER). While at 1 CER, he successfully completed his Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) Handler course in December 2006 and his Junior Leader Course in November 2008. After five years service in the Royal Australian Engineers, Darren deployed to Afghanistan in March 2010 while posted to the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment (2CER).
Darren was involved in a route clearance task ahead of an Australian patrol in the Mirabad Valley on 7th June 2010. He and his Explosive Detection Dog ‘Herbie’, a 3-1/2 year old Collie Cross. were inspecting a suspected improvised explosive device when it was detonated by insurgents. Darren and Herbie were both Killed In Action by the blast.

Australia:
Corporal Cameron Stewart Baird VC MG. KIA in Afghanistan on 22 June 2013.

***Regarding the facepaint: He prefers to look like a Mohican warrior or a Day of the Dead reveller. This is a man who wants to be seen by the enemy, and feared.***

Corporal Baird was a member of the Special Operations Task Group and was from the 2nd Commando Regiment based at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney, New South Wales.

Born in Burnie, Tasmania, in 1981. He joined the Army in January 2000 and upon completion of his initial employment training was posted to the then 4th Battalion (Commando), Royal Australian Regiment, now the 2nd Commando Regiment, in February 2000.

Corporal Baird was an outstanding special forces soldier. He exemplified what it meant to be a commando, living by the attributes of uncompromising spirit and honour, which in turn earned him the unconditional respect of his fellow commandos. His leadership in action was exemplary, constantly inspiring those around him to achieve greater things. Corporal Baird was an extremely dedicated and disciplined soldier, always striving for excellence in everything he did.

Corporal Baird died how he lived - at the front, giving it his all, without any indecision. He will forever be remembered by his mates and the soldiers he served within the 2nd Commando Regiment.

Corporal Baird has been awarded the following honours and awards:

Victoria Cross for Australia

Medal for Gallantry

Australian Active Service Medal with 'East Timor', 'Iraq 2003' and International Coalition Against Terrorism (ICAT) clasps

Afghanistan Medal

Iraq Medal

Australian Service Medal with 'Counter-Terrorism / Special Recovery (CT/SR)' clasps

Australian Defence Medal

United Nations Medal with Ribbon United Nations Transitional Authority in East Timor

NATO Meritorious Service Medal

NATO Non-Article 5 Medal with 'International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)' and multi-tour indicator '3'

Meritorious Unit Citation - Task Force 66 (Special Operations Task Group), Afghanistan

Infantry Combat Badge

Returned from Active Service Badge.

During Corporal Baird's service in the Australian Army he deployed on the following operations:

Operation TANAGER (Timor-Leste) - April 2001 - October 2001

Operation BASTILLE (Iraq) - February 2003 - March 2003

Operation FALCONER (Iraq) - March 2003 - May 2003

Operation SLIPPER (Afghanistan) - August 2007 - January 2008

Operation SLIPPER (Afghanistan) - March 2009 - July 2009

Operation SLIPPER (Afghanistan) - July 2011 - February 2012

Operation SLIPPER (Afghanistan) - February 2013 - June 2013

---

Citation

For the most conspicuous acts of valour, extreme devotion to duty and ultimate self-sacrifice at Ghawchak village, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan as a Commando Team Commander in Special Operations Task Group on Operation SLIPPER.

Corporal Cameron Baird enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in 2000, was discharged in 2004, and re-enlisted in 2006. In both periods of service, he was assigned to the 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando). His operational service includes Operations TANAGER, FALCONER, BASTILLE and five tours on Operation SLIPPER. He was awarded the Medal for Gallantry for his service in Afghanistan in 2007-08.

On 22nd June 2013, a Commando Platoon of the Special Operations Task Group, with partners from the Afghan National Security Forces, conducted a helicopter assault into Ghawchak village, Uruzgan Province, in order to attack an insurgent network deep within enemy-held territory. Shortly after insertion, Corporal Baird's team was engaged by small arms fire from several enemy positions. Corporal Baird quickly seized the initiative, leading his team to neutralise the positions, killing six enemy combatants and enabling the assault to continue.

Soon afterwards, an adjacent Special Operations Task Group team came under heavy enemy fire, resulting in its commander being seriously wounded. Without hesitation, Corporal Baird led his team to provide support. En route, he and his team were engaged by rifle and machine-gun fire from prepared enemy positions. With complete disregard for his own safety, Corporal Baird charged towards the enemy positions, supported by his team. On nearing the positions, he and his team were engaged by an additional enemy on their flank.

Instinctively, Corporal Baird neutralised the new threat with grenades and rifle fire, enabling his team to close with the prepared position. With the prepared position now isolated, Corporal Baird manoeuvred and was engaged by enemy machine-gun fire, the bullets striking the ground around him. Displaying great valour, he drew the fire, moved to cover, and suppressed the enemy machine gun position.

This action enabled his team to close on the entrance to the prepared position, thus regaining the initiative. On three separate occasions, Corporal Baird charged an enemy-held building within the prepared compound. On the first occasion, he charged the door to the building, followed by another team member. Despite being totally exposed and immediately engaged by enemy fire, Corporal Baird pushed forward while firing into the building.

Now in the closest proximity to the enemy, he was forced to withdraw when his rifle ceased to function. On rectifying his rifle stoppage, and reallocating remaining ammunition within his team, Corporal Baird again advanced towards the door of the building, once more under heavy fire. He engaged the enemy through the door but was unable to suppress the position and took cover to reload. For a third time, Corporal Baird selflessly drew enemy fire away from his team and assaulted the doorway. Enemy fire was seen to strike the ground and compound walls around Corporal Baird before visibility was obscured by dust and smoke.

In this third attempt, the enemy was neutralised and the advantage was regained, but Corporal Baird was killed in the effort.

Corporal Baird's acts of valour and self-sacrifice regained the initiative and preserved the lives of his team members. His actions were of the highest order and in keeping with the finest traditions of the Australian Army and the Australian Defence Force.

German KSK Operators during a mission in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan (2021)

Uruzgan Province. c June - August 2010. Soldiers of 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR) Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT) Delta head out on patrol from Patrol Base Razaq.

Bagram Airbase, former main US base in Afghanistan at the moment.

Wow, look at all that loot they're leaving behind.....unbelievable!! What's going on with that USA?? When the MOD close it's base there they took everything and just left a few empty buildings, nothing like this pile was left!!

Unless what's left behind includes hazardous material, I beg to differ. Why pay for the removal of that stuff if you're under time constraints and know that local salvagers will be interested in it anyway?

BravoZulu said:

Canada:
Leopard C2 damaged by IED
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That actually seems like a fairly good perfomance for a rather lightly armoured tank never meant to withstand the threat of roadside bombs. Was the driver okay? 'cause the rest of the vehicle looks like at least the turret crew would've escaped unscathed.

@muck, the crew got out safely

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Bagram base is huge. Does ANDF even have enough troops to guard the base?

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morris said:

Bagram base is huge. Does ANDF even have enough troops to guard the base?

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It's not like they mean to guard the base, is it? Yesterday, a reinforced kandak of the Afghan Army was routed by a company-sized group of insurgents and fled across the Tajik border. The Afghan security forces have no cohesion, no leaders and no long-term goals. That country is going down the toilet even quicker than I'd have imagined.

muck said:

It's not like they mean to guard the base, is it? Yesterday, a reinforced kandak of the Afghan Army was routed by a company-sized group of insurgents and fled across the Tajik border. The Afghan security forces have no cohesion, no leaders and no long-term goals. That country is going down the toilet even quicker than I'd have imagined.

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Another notch of in the belt of Afghanistan I suppose

muck said:

the Afghan Army was routed by a company-sized group of insurgents and fled across the Tajik border

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Yes, Afghan servicemen crossed the border areas Shohon Sh. Shokhin district (104 people), Ruzvay (213 people) and Nulvand (83 people) Darvaz district, Khumrogi Vanj district (173 people), Tem Khorog district (312), Ishkashim (102 people) ) and Langar (50 people) of Ishkashim region to Tajik territory.

Tajikistan MoD is mobilizing reservists and asking for help from from Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

Citing a former Special Air Service (SAS) soldier, who until recently was stationed in Afghanistan, The Telegraph reported that the group would “provide training to Afghan units and deploy with them on the ground as advisers.”

The deployment will be open-ended, they said, meaning the forces would stay “as long as [the government] continue to see value” in having them stationed there.

Sergeant Roxanne Clowe took this photograph of Master Corporal Colin Wiggan standing guard at the village of Rumbasi, Afghanistan. Wiggan and other members of the Force Protection Company created a security perimeter, allowing members of the Civil Military Cooperation team access to sites in order to assess the progress of a canal irrigation project. 30 March, 2007

Royal Marines of 40 Commando on patrol in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, 2010