PROLOGUE
‘snake-eating rebel’
Kevin Connolly, ‘McChrystal in the line of fire.’ BBC Online, 22 June 2010 <bbc.co.uk>
‘big-ass meal’
Toby Harden, ‘Interview: General Stanley McChrystal’, The Telegraph (UK) 23 March 2010, <telegraph.co.uk>
‘about right’
Kevin Rudd, interview on CNN, 21 September 2009
‘red cards’
Patrick Walters, ‘US to urge for bigger role for Diggers—More Afghan for troops’, The Weekend Australian, 22 August 2009
‘yak with youse all’
Malcolm Farr, ‘Rudd visits Diggers: PM’s food for thought’, The Herald Sun, 12 November 2009
CHAPTER 1
‘well-proportioned triumphs of modern hairdressing’
Konrad Lorenz, Man Meets Dog (translated by Marjorie Kerr Wilson), Routledge Classics, London and New York, 1954, p. 89
CHAPTER 2
‘Here Lies and Watches Wagner’s Russ’
Stanley Coren, The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events, Free Press, New York, 2002, p. 112
‘Dogs! Must I be defeated by them . . .’
Stanley Coren, The Pawprints of History, p. 19
CHAPTER 3
‘play is serious business . . .’
Stanley Coren, How to Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication, Free Press, New York, 2000, p. 148
References to how dogs move and respond were drawn from various books cited in the bibliography and more closely from Stanley Coren, How To Speak Dog and Alexandra Horowitz, Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, Scribner, New York, 2009.
CHAPTER 4
‘there is no domestic animal which has . . .’
Konrad Lorenz, Man Meets Dog (translated by Marjorie Kerr Wilson),
Routledge Classics, London and New York, 1954, p ix
‘human companionship has become . . .’
Alexandra Horowitz, Inside of a Dog, p. 64
CHAPTER 5
Much of the material about canine–human communication, how many words dogs can be taught, and the story of the boastful German dog trainer is drawn from Stanley Coren, How to Speak Dog (particularly Chapter 3) and Stanley Coren, Why We Love The Dogs We Do: How To Find The Dog That Matches Your Personality, Fireside, New York, 1998.
‘Emotions allow each of us . . .’
Patricia B. McConnell, For The Love of A Dog: Understanding Emotions in You and Your Dog, Ballantine Books, New York, 2007, p. 11
CHAPTER 6
‘The RSPCA dog is like the Aussie soldier . . .’
Susan Oldroyd, Army: The Soldiers’ Newspaper www.defence.gov.au/news/armynews/editions/1077/topstories/story07.htm
‘. . . 40,000 horses . . .’
M is for Mate: Animals in Wartime from Ajax to Zep, Department of Veterans’ Affairs and The Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 2009, p. 16
‘One messenger dog, working with the Fourth Division Signal Company . . .’
M is for Mate, p. 8
The story about the three-dollar mongrel liberated from death row is told by an Australian Vietnam War veteran and dog handler, Peter Haran, Trackers: The Untold Story of the Australian Dogs of War, New Holland, Chatswood, NSW, 2000.
For more on the early days of the Australian war dogs and for stories about the longest serving Australian canine veterans of the Vietnam War—Marcus, Caesar and Tiber—see Peter Haran, Trackers. Also see the ‘Combat Profiles’ section on the website for the Australian Defence Force Trackers and War Dogs Association (ADFTWDA) <www.aussiewardogs.org/node/83>
CHAPTER 7
‘[Their capabilities] cannot be replicated by man or machine . . .’
‘Herbie Finally Home to Rest’, Australian Government, Department of Defence, press release, 30 June 2010
‘The best technology for sniffing . . .’
Grace Jean, ‘Building Miniature “Noses” to Sniff Explosives’, National Defense (US), business and technology magazine of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), October 2007
‘We trust these dogs more than metal detectors . . .’
Jason Gutierrez, ‘Dogs of War Save Lives in Afghanistan’, Discovery News, American Free Press, 28 January 2010 <DiscoveryNews.com>
‘They are the only weapon system . . .’
Michael G. Lemish, War Dogs: A History of Loyalty and Heroism, Potomac Books, Dulles VA, 2008, p. 197
‘. . . up to 25,000’
Meg Purtell, ‘Sniffer Dogs’, Stateline, ABC Television, 14 March 2008
‘. . . such as ammonium nitrate . . .’
Alan Cullison and Yaroslav Trofimov, ‘Karzai Bans Ingredient of Tali-ban’s Roadside Bombs’, The Wall Street Journal, 3 February 2010
‘like sticking two total strangers . . .’
Corrine Boer, ‘Dogs of War’, Army: The Soldier’s Newspaper, 15 May 2008
‘. . . make their own leashes . . .’
Australian Sapper, Head of Corps, Royal Australian Engineers, Moore-bank NSW, 2010 edition, p. 52
Corrine Boer tells the story of the dominant golden retriever named Mandy in the above article, ‘Dogs of War’.
‘. . . Dookie and Jane . . .’
Andrew Pierce, ‘Hug for Queen Elizabeth’s first corgi’, The Telegraph (UK), 1 October 2007 <www.telegraph.co.uk>
CHAPTER 8
Material on the history of dogs in war was drawn from works cited in the text and also by the following authors (in alphabetical order):
John C. Burnam, A Soldier’s Best Friend: Scout Dogs and Their Handlers in the Vietnam War, Union Square Press, New York, 2008
Stanley Coren, The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events, Free Press, New York, 2002
Brian Dennis, Kirby Larson, Mary Nethery, Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine and a Miracle, Little, Brown and Company, London, 2009
Tracy L. English, The Quiet Americans: A History of Military Working Dogs, Office of History, Lackland Air Force Base, Lackland TX <www.lackland.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-061212-027.pdf>
Michael G. Lemish, War Dogs: A History of Loyalty and Heroism, Potomac Books, Dulles VA, 2008
Frances E. Ruffin, Dog Heroes: Military Dogs, Bearport Publishing, New York, 2007
‘Attila the Hun relied on dogs . . .’
Lemish, War Dogs, p. 3
‘. . . more than 19,000 family pets . . .’
Frances E. Ruffin, Dog Heroes, p. 13
‘. . . air assault was a 30,000 foot leap . . .’
Rebecca Frankel, ‘War Dog’, Foreign Policy, 4 May 2011
For one story about Sasha Rufus and Target, see the press release issued by charity organisation Hope For The Warriors titled ‘Army Guardsman reunites with lifesaving Afghani dogs’, 2010 <www.robertscause.org/hope_warriors_article_july10.pdf>
‘they were our babies’
‘Rufus, Target and Sasha save US soldiers’, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Harpo Productions, 4 October 2010
‘I think we underestimate . . .’
‘UK Army Dog may have died of a broken heart’, Fox News, 10 March 2011 <www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/10/uk-army-dog-died-broken-heart-1606316739>
‘. . . read human gestures and behaviour . . .’
Randi Kaye, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN, 18 November 2010
‘By the end of 2011 . . .’
Emily Moser and Michael McCulloch, ‘Canine scent detection of human cancers: A review of methods and accuracy’, Journal of Veterinary Behavior [US], Vol. 5, No. 3, May/June 2010
‘Early successes with canine scent detection . . .’
Moser and McCulloch, ‘Canine scent detection’
‘It may well be that, someday in the future . . .’
Stanley Coren, How To Speak Dog, p. 185
‘We often refer to our dogs . . .’
Sandra Lee, ‘What’s up, dog?, Sunday Magazine, The Sunday Herald Sun, 17 July 2009
‘Trakr came to a sudden stop . . .’
Genelle Guzman-McMillan, Angel In The Rubble, Inspired Living/Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 2011,
‘There is some anecdotal evidence . . .’
Sandra Lee, ‘What’s up, dog?’
‘community centre bulletin board’
Alexandra Horowitz, Inside of a Dog
‘. . . “read the headlines” . . .’
Stanley Coren, How To Speak Dog, Mastering The Art Of Dog–Human Communication, Free Press, New York, 2000 p. 186
CHAPTER 9
‘. . . an estimated $90,000’
Max Blenkin, ‘Dog Killed on Afghan Duty’, The Age, 6 September 2007
‘$40,000 a year . . .’
‘Along with a troop surge in Afghanistan, a dog surge: along with a dog surge, a food dilemma’, The Los Angeles Times, 25 January 2010
‘highly specialized piece of equipment’
Adrienne Killingsworth, ‘Military working dogs: A tribute to Ardy’, US Army, 11 May 2010 <www.army.mil/article/38878>
‘engineer stores’
Peter Haran, Trackers, p. 57
CHAPTER 10
Material about terrorists using violence against non-combatants was drawn from Jessica Stern, The Ultimate Terrorists, Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA, 1999
‘More than 4500 athletes from 71 countries . . .’
Michael Tafe, ‘Precinct Security Planning: Lessons Learnt—Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games’, Speech delivered at the Mass Transport, Mass Gathering and Precinct Security Conference, 8 November 2007
‘Soldiers from the IRR . . .’ Connections, Defence, Science and Technology Organisation, May 2006
‘. . . dukhi and dushman . . .’
Sandra Lee, 18 Hours: The True Story of an SAS War Hero, Harper–Collins, Pymble NSW, 2006,
‘By 23 September . . .’
‘Australian Special Forces conduction Operations in Afghanistan’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, MECC 230/05, 23 September 2005
‘. . . pushing 70 kilometres north . . .’
Major General Michael Hindmarsh, Australian Government, Department of Defence press conference, Canberra, 27 September 2006
‘It was akin to poking an ant bed with a stick’
Major General Michael Hindmarsh, press conference 2006
‘And more dangerous than anything . . .’
Major General Michael Hindmarsh, press conference 2006
‘it is a distortion to use the word Taliban . . .’
Bing West, The Wrong War: Grit, Strategy, and the Way Out of Afghanistan, Random House, New York, 2011, pp. 7–8
‘wanted to make life difficult’
Presentation of the Military Order of William to Captain Marco Kroon, Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands, Directorate of Information and Communication, The Hague, 29 May 2009
‘The threat is ever-present . . .’
Paul McGeough, ‘SAS combatants strike deep into Taliban heartland’, Sydney Morning Herald, 27 September 2005
‘There were about 80 IED incidents . . .’
‘ADP Prepared for Improvised Explosive Device Threat’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, MECC 141/06, 29 June 2006
‘becoming more technical and constantly updated . . .’
Major General Michael Hindmarsh, press conference 2006
‘. . . were trained to mitigate the threat of IEDs. Every EOD . . .’
‘Canberra cancelled robot unit for bombs’, Department of Defence response to article by Mark Dodd, The Australian, 6 November 2007
‘The work of the Counter IED Task Force . . .’
‘ADF prepared for improvised explosive device threat’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, MECC 141/06, 29 June 2006
For more on the first deployment to Afghanistan of Explosive Detection Dogs Sam and Jasmine, visit the website of The Australian Defence Force Trackers and War Dog Association (ADFT WDA) <www.aussiewardogs.org>
‘He’s your best friend, he’s your best mate . . .’
Catherine Ellis, ‘Sniffer Dogs’, Behind The News, 1 April 2008 <abc. com.au>
‘You need to be able to tell when your dog has found . . .’
Catherine Ellis, ‘Sniffer Dogs’
‘I found this part of the deployment really hard.’
George Hulse, Interviews with War Dog Operatives, Series 4, Profile 4— Afghanistan, Corporal John Cannon—Royal Australian Engineers <www.aussiewardogs.org/downloads/Cpl%20John%20Cannon.pdf >
CHAPTER 11
114 ‘Weekly reviews of the latest information and intelligence . . .’
Australian Sapper, 2007 edition, p. 27
‘The US Army had lost 103 U.S. soldiers to IEDs.’
Anthony Cordesman and Emma Davies, Iraq’s Insurgency and the Road to Civil Conflict, Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Washington DC, 2008, p. 698
117 ‘. . . sent them to the Combined Explosives Exploitation Centre in
Kandahar . . .’ Haydn Barlow, ‘Wired For Action’, Army: The Soldiers’ Newspaper, 20 September 2007
117 ‘a mini arms race . . .’
Russell Maddalena, Australian Government, Department of Defence press conference, Canberra, 10 May 2007
117 ‘He studied the Australians’ rules of engagement . . .’
‘Australian soldiers kill truck driver’, 26 July 2007 <news.com.au>
117 ‘. . . the first Standard Operating Procedure of the task force . . .’
Australian Sapper, 2007 edition, p. 9
118 ‘in the conservative south . . .’
Sarah Chayes, The Punishment of Virtue: Inside Afghanistan After the Taliban, Penguin, New York, 2006, p. 233
‘The need to secure revenge . . .’
Mohammad Yousaf and Mark Adkin, Afghanistan, The Bear Trap: The Defeat of a Superpower, Casemate, Haverton PA, 1991, 2001, p. 34
‘Pashtun history is filled with heroes . . .’
Owais Tohid and Scott Baldauf, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 June 2004
‘betraying each other on a daily basis’
Anonymous, Hunting al-Qaeda: A Take-No-Prisoners Account of Terror, Adventure, and Disillusionment, Zenith Press, Minneapolis MN, 2005
‘It’s an incredible story of hope . . .’
Kelly Ryan, ‘Plea to save hero dog from Afghan war’, The Herald Sun, 20 May 2010
CHAPTER 12
‘a dusty shit-hole’
Paul McGeough, ‘SAS combatants strike deep into Taliban heartland’, Sydney Morning Herald, 27 September 2005
‘. . . established by a United States Marine Expeditionary Unit . . .’
Global Security.org, Forward Operating Base Ripley / Kamp Holland <www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/fob_ripley.htm>
‘Stay with your weapon, always’
Al Green, ‘Home Sweet Home, The Special Operations Task Group’s first days at Camp Russell’, Army: The Soldiers’ Newspaper, n.d. 2005
‘We must outsmart those who want . . .’
Haydn Barlow, ‘RTF2 takes the reins’, Army: The Soldiers’ Newspaper, 3 May 2007
‘. . . there was no mobile telephone coverage . . .’
‘The Dutch Engagement in Uruzgan, 2006–2010: A Socio-political Assessment’, The Liaison Office (independent Afghan NGO), August 2010 <www.tlo-afghanistan.org>
‘Only 10 per cent of males in the province were literate.’
Progress in Afghanistan Since 2001, Australian Government, Department of Defence Fact Sheet <www.defence.gov.au/op/afghanistan/info/ factsheet.htm>
‘IEDs are made of five main components . . .’
Russell Maddalena, Australian Government, Department of Defence press conference, Canberra, 10 May 2007
‘The Chief of Defence Angus Houston confirmed . . .’
Australian Government, Department of Defence press conference, Canberra, 9 June 2008
‘The explosive shockwaves of the blast . . .’
Russell Maddalena, Department of Defence press conference, Canberra, 10 May 2007
‘Twenty-six-year-old Smith, dubbed Smitty’
Australian Sapper, 2010 edition, p. 52
CHAPTER 13
‘bloodiest year’
Thomas H. Johnson, ‘On The Edge of the Big Muddy: The Taliban Resurgence in Afghanistan’, China and Eurasia Forum Quarterly, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2007
‘. . . one recorded case of a suicide bomber in Afghanistan.’
Seth Jones, In The Graveyard of Empires. W.W. Norton and Co., New York, 2009, p. 207
Material on the number of suicide attacks was drawn from Pamela Constable, ‘Gates visits Kabul, cites rise in cross-border attacks’, The Washington Post, 17 January 2007 and Seth Jones, In the Graveyard of Empires.
‘IEDs killed 492 civilians and injured at least 700 more.’
Thomas H. Johnson, ‘On the Edge of the Big Muddy’
‘but it also suffered 90 fatalities . . .’
Bruce Riedel, ‘Al-Qaeda Strikes Back’, Foreign Affairs, May/June, 2007
‘retribution against “collaborators” neutralised . . .’
Barnett R. Rubin, ‘Saving Afghanistan’, Foreign Affairs, January/February 2007
‘. . . the Taliban relies on . . .’
Thomas H. Johnson, ‘The Taliban Insurgency and an Analysis of Shabnamah (Night Letters)’, Small Wars and Insurgencies, Vol. 18, No. 3, 317–44, September 2007
‘A bullet to the head is all it takes . . .’
Seth Jones, In the Graveyard of Empires, p. 227
‘death threats to intimidate and terrorise’
Special Operations commander Major General Tim McOwan, ‘Update on Special Operations in Afghanistan’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press conference, 11 December 2008
‘has become ever more daring and deadly . . .’
Bruce Riedel, ‘Al-Qaeda Strikes Back’
‘striking . . . at the heart of the Taliban strength’
Major General Michael Hindmarsh, Australian Government, Department of Defence press conference, Canberra, 27 September 2006
‘the heavy lifting’
Brendan Nicholson, ‘NATO Failure Endangering Australian Forces’, The Age, 27 November 2007
‘The situational awareness of the RTF patrol . . .’
‘RTF Soldier Slightly wounded in Failed Uruzgan Suicide Attack’ Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, MECC 120/07, 4 May 2007
CHAPTER 14
‘there is a distinct possibility of casualties . . .’
‘Australia to Double Afghan Force’, BBC, 10 April 2007 <bbc.co.uk>
‘. . . manning a MAG58 . . .’
‘Afghanistan, D Coy Op Slipper’, 1 RAR: The First Battalion Association <www.firstbattalionassociation1rar.org.au/info.php?id=13>
‘Two afghan nationals were also wounded . . .’
‘RTF Soldier Slightly Wounded in Failed Uruzgan Suicide Attack’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, MECC 120/07, 4 May 2007
‘. . . restoration work in a ten-hour “backyard blitz” . . .’
Kieran Jackel, ‘Australian and Afghan Sappers Deliver Magical Effect to Talani School’, Australian Sapper, 2007 edition, p. 14
‘. . . Merlin was the first explosive detection dog . . .’
‘Army Sniffer Dog Merlin Killed in Accident’, The Daily Telegraph, 5 September 2007
‘A top EDD and very intelligent . . .’
‘Canines Round Up Medals’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, 6 March 2009
‘We spend every minute with the dog . . .’
Kelvin Healey, ‘Our Troops Declare in Dogs We Trust’, The Advertiser, 22 June 2009
‘. . . SAS Signalman Martin ‘Jock’ Wallace became the first Australian
soldier . . .’ Sandra Lee, 18 Hours: The True Story of an SAS War Hero, Harper–Collins, Pymble NSW, 2006, p. 1
‘. . . insurgents had failed to capture the base . . .’
Nick Allen, Embedded with the World’s Armies in Afghanistan, Spell-mount, Stroud UK, 2010, p. 84
Material about the 120-plus commandos of 4RAR with whom Sergeant D and Sarbi were on patrol was drawn from Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper: The World of an Elite Australian Marksman, Hachette, Sydney, 2010.
‘. . . detonating two Russian anti-tank mines stacked . . .’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 246
‘Their wounds were assessed as slight . . .’
‘Explosive Detection Dog Killed by Taliban Roadside Bomb’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, CPA 330/07, 24 September 2007
‘as close to “one shot, one kill” as you can get’
Sean Naylor, ‘Air Force Policy left ground troops high and dry’, Army Times [US], 30 September 2002
‘It was a huge bomb and poor Razz . . .’
Josh Bavas, ‘Vaporised war dog receives posthumous medal’, ABC, 5 March 2009 <abc.net.au>
‘It was pretty harsh, but he saved my life . . .’
Kelvin Healey, ‘Our Troops Declare in Dogs We Trust’, The Advertiser, 22 June 2009
162 ‘A bad experience, but better than one of our soldiers.’
Josh Bavas, ‘Vaporised war dog receives posthumous medal’
162 ‘. . . In dogs we trust.’
Kelvin Healey, ‘Diggers in danger put trust in dogs’, The Herald Sun, 21 June 2009
164 ‘All of a sudden half the countryside was being shot at . . .’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 251
164 ‘If the blast didn’t kill them the shrapnel would have.’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 252
165 ‘In this case, the dogs have paid the ultimate sacrifice . . .’
‘Explosive Detection Dogs to Be Honoured’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, CPA 336/072, 6 September 2007
CHAPTER 15
‘We will find you . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, Australian Government, Department of Defence, press conference, Canberra, 11 December 2008
‘Afghanistan’s deadly double whammy’
Tom Hyland, ‘Afghanistan’s deadly Double Whammy’, The Sunday Age, 22 June 2008
‘misplaced and even counterproductive’
Tom Hyland, ‘Hearts and Minds Not Won’, The Sunday Age, 22 June 2008
‘. . . died from a single shot . . .’
D. K. Connery, Inquiry Officer’s Report Into The Death of Lance Corporal Jason Paul Marks and the Wounding of Australian Soldiers in Afghanistan on 27 April 2008 (Marks Inquiry), unclassified, 3 June 2008
‘. . . Private Luke James Worsley died . . .’
P.J. Short, Inquiry Officer’s Report Into The Death of 8265028 Pte L.J.Worsley in Afghanistan on 23 Nov 07, unclassified, 18 December 2007
‘. . . SAS Sergeant Matthew Locke was shot . . .’
S.G. Durward, Inquiry Officer’s Report Into The Death of 8229246 Sergeant M.R. Locke In Afghanistan on 25 Oct 07, unclassified, 22 January 2008
‘He was one of these guys . . .’
Brendan Nicholson, ‘You Think I’m Brave? Meet My Mates: Ben Roberts-Smith’, The Australian, 23 April 2011
‘. . . absolutely loved the army . . .’
Heath Gilmore, ‘We Said Our Brave Son was Invincible’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 28 October 2007
‘In October 2007, David Pearce . . .’
S.G. Durward, Inquiry Officer’s Report Into The Death of 8298024 Tpr D.R. Pearce and Injury to [unnamed] in Afghanistan on 8 Oct 07, unclassified, 22 Jan 08
‘The enemy . . . [is] aggressively targeting . . .’
US Department of Defense, news briefing, 24 June 2008
‘They’re burning schools . . .’
US Department of Defense, news briefing, 24 June 2008
‘The people that they’re killing . . .’
US Department of Defense, news briefing, 5 September 2008
‘I’ll wait for your nine potatoes . . .’
Bing West, The Wrong War, p. 8
‘once outside the wire . . .’
Special Operations commander Major General Tim McOwan, ‘Update on Special Operations in Afghanistan’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press conference, Canberra, 11 December 2008
‘These deaths, on the same day we welcomed . . .’
Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, ‘Australian Troops Assist Improvised Explosive Device Victims’, Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, MECC 230/08, 16 July 2008
CHAPTER 16
‘They’re a major asset . . .’
Sean Rayment, ‘British Soldier and his faithful friend die side-by-side in Afghanistan’, The Telegraph (UK), 27 July 2008
‘. . . SAS Corporal Mark Donaldson . . .’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 267
‘We’ve just been hit by an IED.’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 267
‘that thing saved my life’
Mark Dodd, ‘VC Hero Tires of PR and Goes Back to Afghanistan’, The Australian, 23 July 2010
Material about the death of SAS Signaller Sean McCarthy was drawn from various Australian Government Department of Defence press releases and the official unclassified Inquiry Officer’s report on Signaller McCarthy’s death of August 2008, as well as other references cited.
‘He [McCarthy] was badly injured on both legs.’
Jamie Walker, ‘Botched Medivac as Digger in Afghanistan lay dying’, The Australian, 26 July 2008
‘the “golden hour” . . .’
Jamie Walker, ‘Botched Medivac as Digger in Afghanistan lay dying’
‘. . . due to bad weather.’
‘SOTG Soldiers Wounded in Uruzgan IED Blast’ Australian Government, Department of Defence media release, MSPA 255/08, 12 August 2008
‘If the injuries had been life-threatening . . .’
Sarah Smiles, ‘Injured Soldiers Wait Six Hours’, The Age, 13 August 2008
‘. . . a third rescue attempt was attempted six hours later . . .’
Mark Dodd, ‘Push For Diggers To Get Medivacs in Afghanistan’, The Australian, 13 August 2008
‘botched helicopter rescue’
Mark Dodd, ‘Push For Diggers to Get Medivacs in Afghanistan’, The Australian, 13 August 2008
‘a string of bad luck’
Philip Coorey, ‘Forces Stuck with Borrowed Choppers’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 August 2008
‘. . . specialised medical helicopters . . .’
Mark Dodd, ‘Push For Diggers to Get Medivacs in Afghanistan’
CHAPTER 17
The reconstruction of the ambush has been drawn from Sergeant D’s recollections of the day and from various sources cited below and in the bibliography. There were twelve Australians and each fought his own battle that day. Each saw different action and has a unique perspective.
‘highly targeted operations against insurgent . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, Australian Government, Department of Defence, press conference, Canberra, 11 December 2008
‘[Jacko] was Greg’s best companion . . .’
Mark Ranzenberger, ‘Rodriguez to be buried in Arlington’, The Morning Sun, 8 September 2008
‘. . . had successfully wiped out thirteen . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘. . . sneak into Taliban leader Ahmad Shah’s compound . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘We had clobbered them . . .’
Peter Pedersen, ‘Recock and Refigure, Trooper Mark Donaldson, VC, speaks’, Wartime: Official Magazine of the Australian War Memorial, Issue 46, 2009, p.14
‘Kill them, kill them all.’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 285
‘Some of those were air burst . . .’
Peter Pedersen, ‘Recock and Refigure, Trooper Mark Donaldson, VC, speaks’, p.13
‘It’s combat and it’s war . . .’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair, Nine Network, 16 January 2009
‘A non-commissioned SAS sergeant leapt up . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘The effect of the initiation . . .’
‘Australian Army Awarded the Victoria Cross for Trooper Mark Gregor Donaldson’ [official citation], Australian Government, Department of Defence, 16 January 2009
‘I honestly didn’t think . . .’
Mark Donaldson, ‘For Most Conspicuous Acts of Gallantry’, Defence, Issue 1, 2009
‘It’s a funny thing, they were pretty staunch . . .’
Philip Clark, Summer Radio, ABC702 Radio, 14 January 2011
‘We need your assistance . . .’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p. 288
‘They do have very tight rules . . .’
Ian McPhedran, ‘Dutch left soldiers for dead in Afghanistan’, The Daily Telegraph, 22 October 2010
‘. . . using his own body as a shield.’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘On several occasions, enemy bullets . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘If you see them in trouble out there . . .’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair
‘It all comes back to the training.’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair
‘You look back on it now and think . . .’
Philip Clark, Summer Radio
‘This soldier deliberately exposed himself . . .’
Major General Tim McOwan, 11 December 2008
‘He liked justice. If it wasn’t right . . .’
‘Gregory A Rodriguez’, The Detroit News, 6 September 2008
‘. . . the 501st American soldier to have lost his life . . .’
Mark Berman, ‘A Loyal Soldier Is Mourned’, The Washington Post, 16 September 2008
‘He told me Arlington . . .’
Mark Ranzenberger, ‘Rodriguez to be buried in Arlington’, The Morning Sun, 8 September 2008
CHAPTER 18
‘I was hesitant to look . . .’
Rob Maylor and Robert Macklin, SAS Sniper, p, 294
‘was pretty heavy and pretty accurate . . .’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair
‘I suppose it was like looking at a puddle . . .’
Philip Clark, Summer Radio
‘There was a mate of mine . . .’
Philip Clark, Summer Radio
‘That’s how lucky we are . . .’
Peter Harvey, ‘Our Valient Few’, 60 Minutes, Nine Network, 24 April 2009
‘This is the largest number of casualties . . .’
Jonathan Pearlman, ‘Nine Australian soldiers hurt in Taliban ambush,’ The Sydney Morning Herald, 4 September 2009
‘It is important to note . . .’
‘Special operations Task Group soldiers Wounded in Afghanistan Update’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press release, MSPA 295/08, 10 September 2008
‘in areas in which coalition soldiers . . .’
Mark Colvin, ‘Australian soldiers wounded in Afghanistan’, PM, 3 September 2008
‘engaged in a vital mission’
Mark Colvin, ‘Australian soldiers wounded in Afghanistan’
‘A lot of the guys did feel it’
Jessica Johnston, ‘Sarbi the Army wonder dog found safe in Afghanistan’, Perth Now, 12 November 2009 <www.perthnow.com.au>
CHAPTER 19
‘morale is high’
‘Special operations Task Group soldiers wounded in Afghanistan Update’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press release, MSPA 295/08, 10 September 2008
‘. . . Afghan guards had shooed her away.’
Mark Dodd, ‘Long-lost sniffer dog returns to duty with fellow Diggers’, The Australian, 13 November 2009
‘. . . developed a good relationship with the villagers . . .’
Anna K. Perry, ‘Reconstruction efforts spawn hope in Southern Afghanistan’, US Federal News Service, US Army Special Operations Command press release, 10 September 2008
‘An Afghan version of a lost-and-found notice . . .’
‘Rescue plan for Digger dog’, The Australian, 8 June 2010 ‘You have cradled life in your arms . . .’
Ian McPhedran, ‘Training was key to survival’, The Daily Telegraph,
17 January 2009
‘I don’t see myself as a hero, honestly . . .’
Mark Dodd, ‘VC winner Mark Donaldson drew enemy fire, saved a mate and fought on’, The Australian, 17 January 2009. See also, Ian McPhedran, ‘Nation salutes a true war hero’, The Daily Telegraph, 17 January 2009
‘Oh, look, I don’t know . . .’
Howard Gipps, A Current Affair
‘Plans were prepared to retrieve her . . .’
‘Rescue plan for Digger dog’, The Australian, 8 June 2010
‘It’s a game we used to play . . .’
‘Paws in the War: How Sabi [sic] the bomb dog’s on the ball’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 13 November 2009
‘When you know some of these dogs . . .’
‘Keeping Our Four-Legged Forces Healthy,’ Seattle Kennel Club <www.seattlekennelclub.org>
CHAPTER 20
‘The staff spotted the intelligent . . .’
Bianca Clare, ‘Furry friend killed in conflict’, The Sunshine Coast Daily, 29 October 2009
‘There was no noise . . .’
Ian McPhedran, ‘Scars, scares and death in Afghanistan’, The Daily Telegraph, 15 August 2009
‘You can see it now . . .’
Misha Schubert, ‘Sniffing around the real Sabi [sic] story’, The Age, 13 November 2009
‘Inadequate resources will likely result . . .’
Stanley McChrystal, Comisaf’s Initial Assessment, report to Robert M. Gates, US Secretary of Defense, 30 August 2009
‘She showed no signs of stress . . .’
Katharine Murphy ‘Sabi [sic] come home—Dog’s year in the desert’, The Age, 13 November 2009
‘loyal daughter of Australia’
‘Bomb Dog Sabi [sic] back on duty’, The Daily Telegraph, 12 November 2009
‘It may seem quite small, but in fact . . .’
Brendan Trembath, ‘Handler never gave up on lost army dog,’ PM, ABC Radio, 12 November 2009
‘Churchill is drunk . . .’
Amanda Meade, ‘The Diary’, The Australian, 16 November 2009
‘Sarbi’s the last piece of the puzzle . . .’
Mark Dodd, ‘Long-lost sniffer dog returns to duty with fellow Diggers’, The Australian, 13 November 2009
CHAPTER 21
Information about the RSPCA Australia Purple Cross was drawn from the RSPCA’s website. <http://www.rspca.org.au/what-we-do/awards/rspca-purple-cross-award.html>
The author also attended the Purple Cross presentation ceremony for Sarbi at the Australian War Memorial on 5 April 2011.
‘Murphy, the donkey that ferried soldiers . . .’
‘Kirkpatrick, John Simpson (1892–1915)’ Australian War Memorial <www.awm.gov.au/Encyclopedia/spatrick.asp>
‘Give back our hero dog’
Ian McPhedran, ‘Give back our hero dog’, The Daily Telegraph, 22 November 2010
EPILOGUE
‘The remainder of us received shock over-blast effects . . .’
George Hulse, ADFT WDA, Interviews with War Dog Operatives, Series 4, Profile 3—Afghanistan: Sapper Brett Turley—Royal Australian Engineers <www.aussiewardogs.org/node/98>
‘We were both back on patrol duty . . .’
George Hulse, ADFT WDA, Interviews with War Dog Operatives
‘. . . the first multiple fatalities suffered . . .’
‘Two Australian Soldiers killed by bomb on first tour of Afghanistan’, The Age, 8 June 2010
‘training and conditions’
‘Sapper Darren Smith, one of two soldiers killed in Afghanistan, is laid to rest’, The Courier Mail, 20 June 2010
‘. . . one of the boys . . . everyone looks after him . . .’
Chris Masters, ‘A Careful War’, Four Corners, ABC TV, 12 July 2010
‘[It’s] just great morale . . .’
Chris Masters, ‘A Careful War’
‘. . . regarded by his fellow Diggers as one . . .’
Chris Masters, ‘A Careful War’
‘If only we had a troop full of Snowys . . .’
‘Sapper obituaries, Lest We Forget’, Australian Sapper, 2010, p. 52
‘disturbing fashion sense’
‘Sapper obituaries, Lest We Forget’, p. 52
‘Even though it was one of many bangs that we heard . . .’
Leigh Sales, ‘Defence mourning after tremendous loss’, Lateline, ABC TV, 8 June 2010
‘The first five minutes after it happened . . .’
Chris Masters, ‘A Careful War’
‘Jacob and Darren were the epitome . . .’
‘Fallen Australian Soldiers commence final journey’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press release, MECC 214/10, 10 June 2010
‘At the end of the day, Herbie saved lives . . .’
‘Herbie Finally Home To Rest In Peace’, Australian Government, Department of Defence press release, 30 June 2010
‘It’s nice to finally leave them both to rest together.’
‘Herbie Finally Home To Rest In Peace’
‘He was very passionate about his job . . .’
Ia McPhedran, ‘Diggers Darren Smith and Jacob Moerland killed in Taliban bomb trap’, The Daily Telegraph, 9 June 2010
‘I call the photo “the bond” . . .’
‘A memorial for Australia’s Explosive Detection Dogs killed in action in Afghanistan’, Australian Government, Department of Defence news release, 5 July 2011