FED: Two-up and football for Aussie troops in Afghanistan

AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2010
FED: Two-up and football for Aussie troops in Afghanistan

By Crystal Ja

CANBERRA, April 23 AAP - Australian troops in Afghanistan will turn out on Anzac Day
for a traditional dawn service, joined as usual by a heavy contingent of Afghan soldiers
and locals.

At various patrol bases, there will be special breakfasts, football matches and the
old Australian betting game of two-up, although the latter might be a tad difficult to
explain to the locals.

But Afghans understand well the importance of Anzac Day itself, said Lieutenant Colonel
Jason Blain, who commands the Mentoring Task Force One (MTF-1) based at Tarin Kowt.

He said Afghan soldiers were proud to share the day with the Australians.

"The Afghans themselves are quite cognisant of remembering fallen soldiers, given they've
a long history of sacrifice themselves," he told AAP.

"They definitely are attuned to what it's about.

"They have a similar thing in their country, but nothing that really has the same sort
of emotional connection."

The dawn service, which will be held at Tarin Kowt's Camp Holland, will draw about
1000 people, including Dutch and US soldiers.

Lt Col Blain said Anzac Day hadn't lost any significance for troops serving overseas,
saying it was an opportunity to pause and reflect amid the day-to-day grind.

"It does bring home the legacy of the Anzac spirit and their role in maintaining that
spirit, and being the current generation.

"It's a special moment for us."

Army chief Ken Gillespie, who visited troops in Afghanistan ahead of Anzac Day, said
it's another powerful reminder that what they're doing there is worthwhile.

"Hopefully at the end of that is another country and another group of people that can
start to enjoy the freedoms that we do," he told AAP.

He also believes recognition of past sacrifices continues to grow.

"Activities like Fromelles and the findings of all those bodies in the mass grave and
what's going on there have rekindled a lot of interest.

"Younger generations are coming along, and people are actually reading military history.

"It's not like talking about ancient Roman times when people didn't have a direct family
link to it.

"The first and second world wars were somebody's great-grandfather, great- uncle, brothers,
husbands.

"It's living history."

Lieutenant General Gillespie will make his first Anzac trip to Villers-Bretonneux on
Sunday, something he's been looking forward to for most of his military career because
of his own family connection.

"I'll be looking for my great-uncle, whose name appears on one of the walls there,"

Lt Gen Gillespie said.

"He ended up going to France and not lasting very long ... he was one of those that
was killed on probably his first day in battle.

"We don't really know where he lies, but his name is there on the wall, so yeah, it'll
be something for me to go and see it."

AAP cj/sb/jl

KEYWORD: ANZAC AFGHANISTAN

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