Honouring Australian peacekeepers
Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Dan Tehan said the nation honoured the service of more than 30,000 men and women who have participated in peacekeeping operations since 1947 on National Peacekeepers Day today.
Mr Tehan said 14 Australians had died on peacekeeping operations.
“Today we acknowledge all those Australians who have served, and continue to serve, in the United Nations and other multilateral peace and security operations,” Mr Tehan said.
“Australian military personnel, police and civilians have played important roles in assisting those whose lives have been blighted by war and conflict around the globe.
“These men and women take on the difficult challenge and significant responsibility of maintaining an often fragile peace, sometimes standing between warring parties in unsafe environments.
“Their work has included providing electoral and logistics support, ceasefire monitoring, landmine clearance, military observation and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid.”
Australia has made a significant contribution to worldwide peace operations, including commanding operations in Kashmir, Cambodia, the Sinai, Iraq and East Timor. Australians have served in Bougainville, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Haiti, Somalia and Sierra Leone, among many others. Currently, Australians are deployed on operations in the Middle East, Cyprus and South Sudan.
14 September 2016
Media enquiries:
Minister Tehan’s Office: Byron Vale, 0428 262 894
Department of Veterans’ Affairs Media: 02 6289 6203
Veterans and Veterans Families Counselling Service (VVCS) can be reached 24 hours a day across Australia for crisis support and free and confidential counselling. Phone 1800 011 046 (international: +61 8 8241 45 46). VVCS is a service founded by Vietnam veterans.