An Australian soldier serving with the Reconstruction Task Force (RTF) was seriously wounded late yesterday evening (AEST), when a roadside bomb detonated in close proximity to him.

 

http://www.defence.gov.au/media/DepartmentalTpl.cfm?CurrentId=7236

 

Hope hes alright.

Ah crap not good some of these explosive devices would barely be stable..

He was ordinance disposal, demote him lol.

 

More seriously though;

 

1. Who signs up for ordinance disposal anyway? What a **** job to have.

 

2. They really need to stick to just detonating IEDs from a distance instead of trying to defuse them, .50 cal rifle anyone? That is what they were designed for FFS.

yeah but come on, its a highley paid job because of the risk dont forget.

the 50 cal well yeah they could have but hey they didnt

 

With detonating them from a distance I would rather have one of those little tracked things with a camera and blow it up with that.

He signed up, he knew the risks.

 

It's sad, but what does this false war have to do with Australia?

 

Keep following the US like good sheep.......

Allies m8, always stick with ur mates.

Don't know that John Howard is really a mate of Bush but he certainly seems to know how to crawl right up inside his but.

 

Would just be nice if we were givin the real reason as to why Australia is there.

 

But meh with these political talks anyway........

 

*yawn*

We all know the CIA runs this country come one the last priminister or minister that had the opinion we should cut ties with the states disappeared...

 

RIP HAROLD HOLT

Isn't Harold Holt the dude who went for a swim by himself? He got eaten by a shark I bet.

 

Possibly, but it was more likely he got caught in a rip and drowned. Where he was swimming has awesomely strong currents so he probably ended up 5km out to sea and couldn't get back.

For me that would be more frightening than an IED blowing up in my face like the OP topic.

 

Seriously though, I really would like to know if he's okay. Has any more press been released? I have had no luck finding anything.

Edited November 5, 200717 yr by Snazzy

The US really only entered into ANZUS because we were threatening to build a nuke though. The US did not want further nuclear proliferation, hence the alliance.

As for friends, the USSR had been much nicer to Cuba than the US has been to Australia.

Any word on his injuries? I hope he got lucky and just has a few scars and a story to tell over a pot or two.

 

You guys need the states like the rest of the more or less civilised world. Sure you may not like it but they are a much better option than their competitors.

 

It's either them or go back to an isolationist policy which will only hurt the economy or allow another Hitler or Tojo and we all know how much more fun that is.

 

There sure is a lot of water around Australia, sure is nice to have the added support of a few nuclear carriers and AWACS cruising around isn't it..... Historically the US is your best friend, where do you think all the toys to fight the Japanese came from?

 

Isn't Harold Holt the dude who went for a swim by himself? He got eaten by a shark I bet.

 

The US really only entered into ANZUS because we were threatening to build a nuke though. The US did not want further nuclear proliferation, hence the alliance.

 

Australia can not afford a supercarrier, furthermore the US didn't leave the area after WW2. They don't really leave once they get a foot in the door much like an annoying relo that no one likes.

 

 

As for friends, the USSR had been much nicer to Cuba than the US has been to Australia.

 

Yep the USSR sure has a great track record on being nice to her allies, a reliable one too...... In fact the alliance is still good for Cuba to this very day!

 

Anyway, we can continue this in a new thread if anyone wants it to continue otherwise lets get back on topic before I get a ban.

Edited November 5, 200717 yr by cm.

A update on the injured digger

 

By staff writers | November 06, 2007

 

 

 

Sgt Michael Lyddiard nearly died at bomb scene

Lost eye, had part of arm amputated

Government 'cancelled plan for robot bomb disposal'

 

Evacuated ... Sgt Lyddiard has been flown to a US military hospital in Germany / Image supplied

 

 

COMBAT engineer Sergeant Michael Lyddiard has lost most of one arm and an eye and almost died at the scene when a roadside bomb blew up in his face in Afghanistan.

The Townsville-based bomb disposal expert was just a metre from the device and was about to examine it when it detonated. It is understood he suffered severe blood loss and trauma, but was saved by the high standard of first aid he received from comrades and army medics.

Initial reports indicate the bomb was an anti-personnel device rather than the larger anti-vehicle improvised explosive devices (IEDs) - otherwise Sgt Lyddiard would not have survived.

As Sgt Lyddiard's horrific injuries become known, it has been reported that the Howard Government cancelled work in 2004 to develop robotic technology capable of dealing with roadside bombs.

The aim of the program was to develop robotic technology to counter IEDs. Questions are now being asked inside Defence as to why Australian soldiers and explosive detector dogs are being used to render roadside bombs safe when other NATO forces use advanced robotics.

 

Thousands of remote-control mine and IED detectors have been rushed to Afghanistan and Iraq by the US military, with more than 5000 in operation last April, compared with 150 in 2004.

 

The ADF, however, relies mainly on sniffer dogs and perilous manual defusing, such as the job Sgt Lyddiard was attempting when the device exploded in front of him.

Mercy dash

 

The soldier's wife and parents left Australia yesterday on a defence flight to Ramstein Air Base in Germany close to where he is being treated for grave injuries at the Landstuhl Hospital.

 

Sgt Lyddiard was flown to the largest American hospital outside the US on board a special NATO aero-medical flight. An ADF medical specialist preceded his arrival in Germany to ensure arrangements were finalised.

 

The Defence department has listed his condition as serious, but insiders have said his condition was critical but stable.

 

Most of his lower right arm was lost in the blast and doctors have amputated it above the elbow. In addition to losing an eye, Sgt Lyddiard suffered serious shrapnel and blast wounds to his face and debris and shrapnel wounds to the legs.

 

A Defence spokesman said the NATO facility in Germany offered the best trauma care.

 

"The NATO hospital is a world-class facility with some of the most experienced trauma-care specialists in the world," he said.

 

"Their collective experience in treating battlefield injuries, particularly those resulting from blast and fragmentation effects, means Sgt Lyddiard is receiving the best possible care available."

 

Trooper David Pearce died inside his armoured vehicle when it was hit by a much larger roadside bomb in Oruzgan Province on October 8.

 

Sgt Lyddiard was the 28th Australian soldier to be wounded in Afghanistan. Two SAS soldiers, Sergeants Andrew Russell and Matthew Locke, have been killed in action since 2001.

 

"Specialists will continue to assess Sgt Lyddiard's condition and further medical needs.

 

"Included in this assessment will be a decision on when it may be possible for Sgt Lyddiard to return to Australia," the defence spokesman said.

 

Program cancelled

The robot plan, known by its army designation Project Land 133, was shut down by former defence minister Robert Hill.

 

In 2004, aware of the emerging threat posed by IEDs, the army had been trialling tests involving a robotic powered Bushmaster Infantry Mobility Vehicle fitted with hi-tech sensors able to detect roadside bombs or land mines.

The Australian has reported that early tests of the Route and Area Mine Neutralisation System recorded a 95 per cent detection rate of explosives.

Instead of being issued with advanced robotic detection equipment, the ADF in Afghanistan relies on a South African 1980s vintage "Chubby" anti-mine tractor, explosive detection dogs and full body armour for manually defusing bombs.

The ADF yesterday confirmed that incidents of IED attacks were increasing in Afghanistan. Of special concern was the increasing technical sophistication of IED weaponry used by Taliban insurgents.

"(The International Security Assistance Force) recently announced the interdiction of large quantities of specialised IED componentry entering Afghanistan from neighbouring countries," Defence spokesman Andrew Nikolic said.

"There is also evidence of radio-controlled devices being constructed in the Pakistan border regions by the Taliban and their supporters and smuggled into Afghanistan for use against ISAF troops and Afghan security forces."

According to Australian Defence Business Review magazine, the ADF is seeking to fast-track the acquisition of a remote-controlled IED route clearance system in line with the US and other NATO countries.

A spokesman for Defence Minister Brendan Nelson yesterday admitted the project had been shut down but said the decision was taken on the advice of the army.

- by Ian McPhedran, The Daily Telegraph and Mark Dodd, The Australian

heard a snippet just now on jjj news about a soldier in east timor found dead with a gunshot wound,in the barracks.

all they said.

Yeah same :/ hope its not another frigon Kovco incident

Kovco??

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200604/s1621927.htm

 

There is way to much info about the situation so I just picked this one.

Poor guy, why did he not unload his weapon or is this suspected to be suicide or something like that?

 

As for the original topic, poor bugger. At least he's alive!

I reckon it was a cover up, the real storey hasent been told and never prob wont be told

The public will never know what happend that night.

It probably really was an accident, it kind of happens when people get tired and you have explosives and weaponry around.

 

I'd be surprised if there was a cover up given all the military trials I've seen happening due to negligence. We even lost our Airbourne Regiment in Canada over a few incidents involving hazing and the murder of a somali teen when he was caught climbing the fence to steal weapons and ammo.

$20 says he was 'skylarking' as they call it. Military slang for doing stupid **** you shouldn't be doing.

 

I have heard heaps of stories from people who have been screwing around and have had near misses it's only a mater of time before someone gets hit.

 

I bet he thought the safety was on when it wasn't or similar.

 

Best story of a near miss;

 

At Kapooka on basic training after a day at the range one recruit didn't clear his weapon properly, about 2 hours later he was skylarking with his mates and almost shot his corporal. It missed by less than 10cm and put a hole in the wall. The recruit dropped his F88 and the Corporal just looked at him in shock, then shock turned to anger, the recruit piss bolted and the corporal chased him down and gave him one more reason why he should make sure his weapon is clear.

 

Said recruit is now known to clear his weapon an excessive amount of times "just to be sure".