DEFENCE MEDIA RELEASE
Issued by Ministerial Support and Public Affairs, Department of Defence, Canberra, ACT
Phone: 02 6127 1999, Fax: 02 6265 1545
MSPA 366/09
Monday, 26 October 2009
MRTF-2 MOURNS ‘NOVA’
The 2nd Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force (MRTF-2) paused to mourn the
death of ‘Nova’, an Explosive Detection Dog, over the weekend, who served with
distinction throughout her Army career.
Nova was fatally injured in a vehicle incident on Friday 23 October 2009, while
training with her handler at Camp Holland in Oruzgan Province.
Nova was taken to the base medical facility to receive further treatment however her
wounds were deemed too severe and subsequently she was put to sleep by the
Regimental Medical Officer.
Base personnel later gathered with the MRTF-2 Chaplain, to farewell their four-
legged mate.
Nova had recently been involved in Operation Baz Panje, a Joint Afghan National
Army, Australian Defence Force and Coalition Operation, responding to a call from
Afghan Locals to remove the threat posed by Taliban insurgents.
Commanding Officer of MRTF-2, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Connolly, said the loss of
Nova is keenly felt by the personnel of MRTF-2 and the wider Royal Australian
Engineers, particularly their specialist dog handlers.
“Explosive Detection Dogs are a critical asset in our fight against improvised
explosive devices. The Dogs save countless lives,” Lieutenant Colonel Connolly said.
Explosive Detection Dogs are used by MRTF-2 in a specialist search capacity to
counter the high threat of improvised explosive devices throughout Oruzgan Province.
MRTF-2 maintains an Explosive Detection Dog capability providing the required
level of force protection for deployed Australian troops.
Nova will be cremated.
Media note: Imagery of Nova will be available at
Media contact: Defence Media Liaison: 02 6127 1999 or 0408 498 664
NEWS 
