penned by Ian McPhedran
Servicemen grab a burger at the Kahdahar Airfield in Afghanistan. Picture: Craig Greenhill Source: News Limited
HUNDREDS of Australian troops in Afghanistan confined to the main base in Tarin Kowt are spending more time pumping iron and watching movies than soldiering.
Many are bored and frustrated by the lack of activity although they were warned before they left Australia that they would not be going "outside the wire'' of Camp Russell.
The 1650 defence personnel in Afghanistan, including 150 logistics specialists, are preparing up for a $50 million plus withdrawal operation that involves 275 vehicles, 1300 protected accommodation units (Drehtainers) and other equipment that has supported the 10-year campaign.
When asked what the troops were doing, Defence said: "The personnel deployed to Tarin Kowt undertake a multitude of daily routines, from the demolition/removal of equipment, through to the provision of advice to the 4th Brigade, 205 Hero Corps of the Afghan National Army and SOTG (Special Operations Task Group) missions.''
Defence also said that materials left in Afghanistan could either remain for continuing operations, be disposed of in-theatre, or gifted to the Afghan Government (under ISAF guidelines for non-military equipment only).
Soliders play volleyball at the Kahdahar Airfield in Afghanistan. Picture: Craig Greenhill
Most Diggers will be home by the end of this year and everyone apart from a handful of trainers and possibly a Special Forces contingent will be gone by the end of 2014.
Several of the bored troops are using the time to hone their physical fitness in advance of attempting the special forces entry test when they return home. That means at least two trips to the gymnasium each day for several hours and large volumes of protein supplements.
Others just build muscle and large amounts of body building supplements are consumed as Diggers sharpen their "guns'' in a huge gymnasium housed in a former helicopter hangar.
Some are also studying tertiary subjects while others have met former Afghan National Army mates and are spending time with them to develop Pashtu language skills.
The hockey rink within The Boardwalk where servicemen and women relax, exercise and enjoy western food. Picture: Craig Greenhill
Most have hard drives with hundreds of movies stored on them and laptops are working overtime.
Members of the 300-strong Special Operations Task Group conduct heavy duty "hunter/killer'' missions against insurgent leaders across southern Afghanistan, but for many Australians at the base, including 330 diggers from the 7th Battalion, it is extreme boredom broken by trips to the mess hall or the gym.
The only time they fire a weapon is on the huge live fire range above the camp.
Just 65 soldiers provide security for Provincial Reconstruction Teams conducting day patrols outside Tarin Kowt.
"Some soldiers have been there before and they know what it was like when the boys were patrolling and living at forward bases,'' a former soldier who recently returned from TK said.
"This deployment is very different.''
Even the distractions of an American Green Beans coffee shop and Dutch cafe serving expensive milkshakes and fast food are gone.
The main redeeming feature of the final deployments to TK are the $150-a-day tax free allowance and tax free salaries the troops receive in the Middle East.
They may not be in as much danger as former deployments but they will return home after eight months with tens of thousands of dollars in the bank.
Personnel deployed to what is known by Diggers as "Camp Cupcake'' at the safe Australian base at Al Minhad air base near Dubai receive tax-free pay and lower allowances along with regular restaurant and shopping trips to one of the world's most vibrant cities.
Millions of taxpayer dollars have been spent on the base building everything from accommodation units to giant air-conditioned aircraft hangars and most of it will remain in place at the end of the mission.
AFGHANISTAN MISSION 2013
* 1650 Australian Defence Force personnel
* 300 special-forces conducting fighting missions
* 330 infantry confined "inside the wire'' at Camp Russell, Tarin Kowt
* 65 on day security patrols only
* 150 specialists to pack up gear for air freight or road/shipment to Australia via Pakistan
* 500 others on base only duty including medical staff, unmanned aircraft operators, base security, weapons intelligence, counter rocket and IED teams, communicators, force support, movement co-ordinators and air operations.
* 275 vehicles to come home
* 1300 protected accommodation containers to be disposed of
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