Christopher Pyne: We remember those who gave their lives and their health for their country

Australians have fought in wars around the world – and carry the scars. We thank them for their service, writes Christopher Pyne.

For almost all of us, the announcement that Australia’s military engagement in Afghanistan will come to an end and the last troops will come home for good signals the end of the longest military conflict in Australia’s post-federation history.

For those who lost a loved one, who were scarred physically, mentally or both, whose family member or friend committed suicide, either in the war zone or after their return, or who are battling to readjust back home, the conflict might never end.

Last week, new Defence Minister Peter Dutton made the right call in not confirming an earlier announcement by the Chief of the Defence Force that the citation awarded to about 3000 men and women who served in Afghanistan would be revoked. The initial announcement was seen as a group punishment for the revelations arising out of the Brereton Review into the incidents involving Australian Army personnel in alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.

No matter how heinous those alleged crimes might turn out to be, they are the actions of the individuals concerned and it is they who should be held responsible.

The Morrison Government also announced the creation of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide. This too is a welcome move and will hopefully recommend measures that will end the crippling anguish for those left behind when they lose a friend, colleague or family member to the depression and sense of hopelessness that presages suicide.

On this year’s Anzac Day, it behoved us to remember the sacrifice of not only those, such as my great-uncle Patrick Pyne, who were killed at Gallipoli in the World War I battle that gave rise to the foundation of Anzac Day, but also the sacrifice of every other Australian who died or was irreparably damaged by the impact of war.

Australian soldiers from the 5th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment at the range in Camp Qargha, Afghanistan.

Afghanistan was the latest military conflict in which Australia found itself. Sadly, it will not be the last.

Australians have fought in wars going back to the 1880s – in the Sudan, the Boer War, the Boxer Rebellion in China, World War I, Russia in 1919, World War II, Korea and the Malayan Emergency.

Our military has also served in Vietnam, Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands, East Timor and many peacekeeping operations around the world.

Many people ask why. It’s not a hard question to answer. Australians believe in our values. We believe in freedom, liberty, democracy and a fair go. When we have been called on to defend those values, we invariably answer the call.

More often that not, there are sound geopolitical reasons for joining a coalition of similar like-minded nations. We can’t expect others to do the fighting for how we want the world to be. As Australians, we believe in “putting our money where our mouth is”. If our values are worth anything, they are worth fighting for.

An important consideration is that Australia has always been a small population on a big continent, a long way from the power centre of our closest friend – the US. If we were ever to be threatened in the future we would want our great and powerful friend, the world’s no. 1 super power, to come to our aid. We firmly believe that they would.

Australian soldiers from the 2nd Mentoring Task Force board a Chinook helicopter to fly out to their new patrol base homes, spread throughout the Uruzgan Province of southern Afghanistan.

On this year’s Anzac Day, we can be proud of what we achieved in Afghanistan. It is worth remembering that we joined the international coalition in the Afghanistan War because we were determined to stop the country being used as a base for terrorism. That terrorism was directed at our friends and allies.

The destruction of the Twin Towers in New York on September 11, 2001, was carried out by the forces of Osama bin Laden operating and being trained in Afghanistan. The al-Qaida network was allowed to thrive there by the Taliban regime, which ruled Afghanistan before the international coalition removed it.

Today, those terror networks across Afghanistan have been dismantled.

The legitimate government of Afghanistan has a capable military, which has been trained and armed to a high level.

The Taliban are active and ambitious in their goals. They control much of the countryside but, at this stage, few of the towns and cities.

Because of our intervention in Afghanistan, millions of Afghan women and girls have had the chance to be educated, join the workforce and take part in society as equals. Life under the Taliban, in comparison, was akin to a medieval state.

The freedoms won by the Afghans will not be easily forgone. It will be up to the Afghans themselves to take responsibility for establishing an enduring peace and creating a modern, independent state.

As someone who has been to Afghanistan and met members of the government there, I know that they have a clear-eyed view of what they need to do. We have given them the tools, now they have to carry on with the job.

No one thinks that’s going to be easy. In fact, it is going to be very hard. But we can’t be the cop on the beat forever in Kabul.

To all of our ex-servicemen and women who served in Afghanistan and elsewhere, and their friends and families, lest we forget.

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