DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 6265 1545
MSPA 476/10
Saturday, 9 October 2010
Australian soldier wounded by an improvised explosive device
An Australian soldier from the Special Operations Task Group (SOTG) received
superficial wounds
when a Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle (PMV) struck an
Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on 3rd of October.
The incident occurred while conducting partnered operations with the Afghan
Provincial Response Company (PRC) in northern Kandahar province
as part of the
wider
Operation HAMKARI,
an Afghan Government-led initiative to improve the
security in and around Kandahar City.
Deputy Commander Joint Task Force 633,
Commodore Roger Boyce,
said the
wounded soldier received first aid immediately after the strike before returning with
his force element to a nearby forward operating base.
“A doctor at the base reassessed the soldier and recommended further specialist
advice. As a result he was moved to the Role 3 Medical Facility at Kandahar Airfield
by helicopter,” Commodore Boyce said.
“Thankfully,
this further assessment confirmed
no serious wounds,
and the soldier
was released from the medical facility.”
The wounded soldier
is undertaking
a short period of recovery before rejoining
combat operations.
Due to the location of the IED strike, the damaged vehicle was deemed to be
unrecoverable and was destroyed.
During this operation, another IED was located by SOTG elements and was destroyed
in place.
The SOTG regularly conducts operations with the PRC, which is part of the Afghan
National Security Forces. The local knowledge and community connections of the
local Afghan security forces, like the PRC, provide invaluable support to coalition
operations, especially Australian Special Forces.
.
Ends release
Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
