Task Force

• Ben Cordwell, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2011

Task Force 66 is made up of the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), the Australian 2 Commando Regiment (2nd 4RAR cdo), and the amazing IRR (Incident Response Regiment). Together they make up the spear tip of Australia’s Military operations in Afghanistan.
Task Force 66 relies mainly on quick response to a situation. They are able to adapt and work with any given situation. Task Force 66 is a tight and well made group who care more about their mates than themselves. They fight to get each other out safely. The one thing that makes them unique is that they will never give up. They say that we’ve been focusing on the bad that has happened to our soldiers and that we haven’t been seeing the amount of successful missions Task Force 66 have accomplished.
The following story shows Task Force 66 in its height. “Foras admonition - Without Warning.”
A small Task Force vehicle patrolling in the region of Khaz Uruzgan has come under fire from the mountains surrounding the trail. Special Forces pile out of the ‘Bushmasters’(large mine proof vehicles) and take up defensive positions around the patrol. They have five vehicles spread through the valley. The deafening sound of AK-47 fire zips past the soldiers heads. The Task Force pop off shots to try and keep the Taliban’s heads down. It’s not working. The Task Force need to come up with something else. Three soldiers from the SASR make their way up the side of the mountain to gain some high ground and spot enemy positions. The patrol commander climbs into the back of the bushmaster and mounts the 50.cal machine gun to support his fellow soldiers moving up to the mountain tops.
Task Force 66 reaches the top of the mountain. The Taliban have fled into the caves. The Task Force radio back to command to report that they have made large contact with the enemy and wish to pursue them in the mountains. The patrol get the go ahead. They gear up and start to work their way into the mountain caves. The soldier on point sees a slight glint of light ahead. He raises his weapon then two seconds later a Taliban soldier pops out and fires a shot. The soldier responds with a double tap to the Taliban’s head, he drops to the ground. The Task Force keep moving through the cave, no other Taliban soldiers are seen but Task Force 66 do find what they like to call a ‘jack pot’. A large weapons cache and 300 kilograms of illegal drugs are found in the cave. The IRR rig the weapons and the drugs with explosives. Task Force 66 make their way out of the cave to safety and detonate the cache.
Even though the Taliban remain elusive, Task Force 66 walk away unscathed and with the knowledge that they have disarmed the Taliban from a substantial cache of weapons and drugs.
“Who Dares Wins” - SASR Motto