Photo By Warrant Officer Jessi McCormick | Maj. Gen. Robert “Abe” Abrams, Commanding General of 3rd Infantry Division and...... read more read more
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TARIN KOT, AFGHANISTAN - Military members from the United States, Slovakia and Singapore stood side-by-side with their Australian brothers and sisters-in-arms to support them in remembrance of Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) Day, Apr. 25, 2013, at Multi National Base Tarin Kot, Afghanistan.
Located in Uruzgan province, MNB-TK has been the center of Australian operations since 2006. The Australian Defence Force has lost 39 lives in the war in Afghanistan, almost all of which were lost in Uruzgan.
“We remember lives sacrificed in blood that is soaked into the dirt and the sand of Iraq and here in Afghanistan,” said Australian Army Chaplain Damien Ellis during the dawn service.
ANZAC Day is commemorated as a day of remembrance and marks the beginning of the Gallipoli campaign, where the two countries undertook their first major battle in WWI. The troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula on Apr. 25, 1915, with the objective of securing the strategic Dardenelles Straights to open a second front against the German-allied forces.
Although the campaign had the potential to be a turning point in the war, it resulted in eight months of stalemate. In the end, the Anzacs had lost more than 12,000 lives.
American and Australian troops first combined forces on the battlefield on July 4, 1918, in France during the Battle of Le Hamel. This battle was the first battle in World War I that Americans operated under a command other than their own.
Four companies from the 131st and 132nd Infantry Divisions were attached to Australian forces under the command of Australian Lt. Gen. John Monash. The battle lasted a mere 93 minutes, but it marked the first of many victories that Americans and Australians shared.
It was also one of the first examples of combined arms operations involving carefully coordinated infantry, artillery, armor, and aviation.
Australia is the only country to have served alongside the United States in every major conflict since WWI, including WWII and the Korean, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, and Iraq Wars. The two countries are currently serving together in Afghanistan.
“It’s an honor to be here with the Australians on a day that they memorialize and honor their fallen and the sacrifices that they made,” said Maj. Ethan Lowe, Security Force Assistance Team executive officer, Texas National Guard. “It’s been an educational experience to be deployed alongside the Australians. It reminds you of a commonality of our predecessors who previously fought together for liberty and national unity.”
ANZAC Day begins each year with veterans, military members, and civilian supporters participating in a dawn service. There are prayers, hymns, a recitation, and laying of the wreaths.
This year, a member of the U.S. Army was given the rare experience of participating in the ceremony at MNB-TK. First Lt. Anthony Kozubal, a medical officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, joined with Australian Army Capt. Chloe Dray to sing the traditional hymn “Abide With Me”.
”It was very humbling to be asked to participate in such an important day for Australia,” Kozubal said. “With the risk of sounding cliche, it was truly a once in a lifetime experience.”
Regional Command-South and 3rd Infantry Division Commanding General Maj. Gen. Robert “Abe” Abrams attended the ceremony and laid a wreath on the memorial.
“It was an honor to be here today, and I feel very privileged to be able to serve alongside the Australians who have sacrificed so much in so little time and have been some of our staunchest supporters,” Abrams said.
After the service, troops and distinguished guests took part in another ANZAC Day tradition, the “gunfire breakfast.” The breakfast usually consists of coffee with rum, which symbolizes the breakfast consumed by many of the soldiers facing battle in WWI. Due to General Order Number 1, which states that U.S. Soldiers are prohibited from consuming alcohol in an operational theater, the rum was withheld with consideration for coalition troops.
Gambling in uniform is illegal in Australia on every day except ANZAC Day. Therefore, a game called “Two Up” has become an ANZAC Day tradition. The game consists of throwing two coins, usually pennies, into the air and the crowd bets on if they will both land on heads or tails.
The ANZAC Day Clash, an Australian Football League game played annually between Melbourne clubs Essendon and Collingwood, was watched by Australian and coalition troops in ‘Poppy’s’ Recreation Center.
” I’m proud to share the ANZAC tradition with our coalition partners,” said Australian Army Capt. Glenn Sheridan, Combined Team Uruzgan. “This day means even more to me while I’m deployed. It’s very humbling to be able to share that feeling and experience with coalition forces, and to show them our history and traditions.”
This was the last ANZAC Day likely to be celebrated in the Uruzgan province. The base will be handed over to Afghan forces by the end of the year.
| Date Taken: | 04.25.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2013 02:28 |
| Story ID: | 105954 |
| Location: | TIRINKOT, AF |
| Hometown: | ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AU |
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