Cuzzie Lois wrote in over the weekend to fill me in on the latest from Oz...Another Aussie soldier has been killed, he is again from a Regiment based here in Brisbane. We are really taking a hit as of late.
In less than one month, six Australian soldiers have been killed in action in Afghanistan. Our down-under allies have taken 17 hits in this war. To us, it may seem a small number compared to the overall losses. To them, it's huge.
The new Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, knows what this means:
"There will be Australians today who are asking themselves in the face of this loss in Afghanistan, why as a country we continue to pursue our mission there," she said.Her answer to that is resolute:
"We pursue that mission because Afghanistan has been a safe haven for terrorists, for terrorists who have reaped acts of violence against Australians in 9/11 and in Bali. And we are determined to pursue our mission there."
Thank you, brave allies, for giving it your all. And thank you, Lois, for keeping us posted on your beloved diggers.
2 comments:
In the grand scheme of things, what is the percentage of troops KIA compared to ours? That's what number we should explore. Their military is much smaller than ours. That would be a more true number. Rest in peace, Brother.
ISAF keeps a running count of the percentages in terms of various statistics, such as population or troops in theater. In terms of pure numbers, the U.S. has lost more than anyone. Because we are such a huge country, it all gets spread out, the statistics don't seem as overwhelming, and we don't seem to notice it as much. To each family, though, no matter where the soldier comes from, the loss is monumental. May they all rest in peace.
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