Jun 08
29
WA today |
A duty to our soldiers
Mercury, Australia - 9 hours ago
As the first Iraq war showed, the consequences of war on the individual soldier can be considerable and long-lasting. While they might have been filled with ...
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WHATEVER the arguments about Australia's involvement in the Iraq war, there should be agreement on one thing: the performance of our armed forces there and in Afghanistan has been outstanding.
The fact that so many Australians turned out in Brisbane on Saturday to cheer our returning troops shows that we can embrace the courage and professionalism of our soldiers, regardless of our views about their deployment. Iraq has been a long and difficult assignment but, thankfully, we have brought home the bulk of our troops largely unscathed -- in stark contrast to the horrors of Vietnam more than 30 years ago. That conflict was long, bitter, divisive and bloody and left a legacy that still cuts deep today among those who served there. It is therefore a considerable relief to those who were shunned after Vietnam that the next generation in khaki has been treated with the gratitude and respect of the nation -- for that was clearly the overwhelming sentiment on the streets of Brisbane. Australians can be justly proud of the service our armed forces have performed in Iraq. There may have been sharp divisions on the decision by the former Howard government to commit troops to the fight but once that was made there has been little if any criticism of the troops themselves -- and rightly so. As a result, the defences forces have performed without the burden of questions about being there. They knew that Australians realised that a commitment made is a commitment that should be honoured. Australia has made great strides in its area of influence in Iraq to restore military and civil order and give Iraqis the training they need to improve their own security and the infrastructure to return their battered nation to some semblance or order, peace and prosperity. There clearly is much still to do and Australia is maintaining a presence after the withdrawal of some 700 personnel. But there is much to do, too, for our returning servicemen and women. We cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of Vietnam. Home they may be, but many servicemen will have to deal with the often traumatic experience of combat duty and the confronting daily task of maintaining peace in a very dangerous environment. As the first Iraq war showed, the consequences of war on the individual soldier can be considerable and long-lasting. While they might have been filled with pride on the streets of Brisbane as thousands cheered them on and the Prime Minister feted their achievements, when they return to normal barrack life many will have difficulties. They have served their nation and the people of Iraq superbly and deserve the full support of Australians and our government. We will ignore these veterans at our peril this time. There should be no repeat of the failures that have so scarred our Vietnam warriors.
