Sarbi and her handler, Sergeant D, in January 2011.

The Australian Army’s most famous hound, Sarbi, retired from active service on Monday after six years of sniffing out dangerous bombs and weapons and saving countless lives.

Sarbi, who turned nine on September 11, retired as an explosives detection dog to live with her handler, Sergeant D, and his fiancé at their Sydney home.

She joins the experienced handler’s other dog, Vegas, who retired from her job as an EDD in 2005, and their cat.

“She’s settled in well. Vegas didn’t even bat an eyelid. She thinks it’s great that this new dog goes and gets the ball and drops it within easy reach for her to pick up,” Sgt D tells me via email.

The household cat, though, is another matter!

Sergeant D returned to Australia in early December after his fourth deployment to Afghanistan as an EDD handler since 2007 and was eager to lead Sarbi into her new life as a household pet.

The ball-mad black Newfoundland-Labrador retriever cross was twice deployed to Afghanistan with Sgt D – as he is known for operational security reasons – to sniff out improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and a range of other deadly weapons and bomb-making equipment.

She is the star of my fourth book, Saving Private Sarbi, The True Story of Australia’s Canine War Hero, which was published in October by Allen and Unwin and launched (see page 11 in Army, The Soldier’s Newspaper) by the former Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie who told me earlier this year he wouldn’t be sending Sarbi back to a war zone. 

The book is now in its third printing.

Sarbi went missing in action after the joint Australian, Afghan and U.S. patrol on which she was working was ambushed by the Taliban on September 2, 2008. It was the same fire-fight in which SAS Trooper Mark Donaldson was later awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross for courage under fire for rescuing a seriously wounded Afghan interpreter.

Sarbi was taken by the Taliban as a prize of war and kept for nearly 14 months before she was ‘dognapped’ in a deal brokered by a local malek (trusted Afghan elder) and a US Special Forces soldier in Uruzgan Province and returned to the Australian Army based at Tarin Kot.

After several months in quarantine in Dubai, she finally made her way back to Australia last December and has spent all of 2011 training new EDD handlers at the School of Military Engineering at Holsworthy on the outskirts of Sydney.

She was also awarded the RSPCA’s prestigious Purple Cross for services to humans becoming only the second military animal to receive the top honour after Simpon’s donkey Murphy, who helped ferry wounded men from battle in Gallipoli. Sarbi has also received campaign medals for her two deployments to Afghanistan.

She deserves her retirement.

In dogs we trust.

A member of the Australian Defence Force taking a breather in the Middle East with a gift donated by Vogue magazine for ANZAC Day care packages

Earlier  this year I sent out a call to my mates in the media asking if they would like to contribute to my inaugural ANZAC Day care package drive for our 3000 soldiers, sailors and airmen and women currently deployed overseas in Afghanistan, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

Everyone jumped at the opportunity and donated magazines and books and even some treats and toys for the dogs of the Explosive Detection Dog Section, the highly-trained hounds who are saving lives in Uruzgan Province by sniffing out dangerous improvised explosive devices and roadside bombs – the Taliban’s weapons of choice.

The editor of That’s Life! magazine, Linda Smith, donated dozens and dozens of puzzle books that kept the Australian Defence Force personnel in crosswords and Sudoku for months.

Lizzie Renkert, Jackie Frank and Kirstie Clements – the stylish editors of fashion magazines, Madison, marie claire and Vogue donated the latest editions of their glossy monthlies, as did top bloke Stephen Corby, the editor of the top-selling Top Gear magazine.

Helen McCabe, who helms The Australian Women’s Weekly and her team contributed several boxes of magazines and puzzle books, as did Felicity Harley from Women’s Health. GQ did its bit – obviously for the more stylish soldier!

The Australian book publisher of the year, Allen and Unwin, (who also publish my latest book, Saving Private Sarbi, donated a pile of books a metre high, as did my literary agent,  Selwa Anthony.

I have received some of the most moving letters from soldiers in Afghanistan, East Timor and the Sollies expressing how much it means to them that the Australian public is thinking of them, supporting them and grateful for their service overseas. We thank them for making huge sacrifices by being away from home for months at a time, particularly at important times of the year such as ANZAC Day and Christmas.

Here’s a selection of their comments.

Phil, Warrant Officer Class Two in Afghanistan:

“You would be surprised at how much a boost it gives each and everyone of us to receive mail and gifts from home. We are currently very busy here as this is the peak time of year for the Taliban due to the good weather (they don’t like to be out and about in the cold weather), but that said, we will always have time for a good read and you can be sure the magazines and books will get read from cover to cover and many times over.”

Some of the sailors with their ANZAC Day care package treats donated by my media mates

And this, from Able Seaman Julie;

“I’m emailing as I was the lucky recipient of one of your ANZAC Day Packages. Thank you very much, it was much appreciated! Both myself and the other girls were glad to receive some feminine reading material. It was also humbling to know that people appreciate our work over here.”

This one in particularly poignant and moving, from a female RAAFie, Middle East:

“Thank you so much for your package. We appreciate it. Everyone had a flick through them, I even found the boys reading the Women’s Health mag I especially loved the girly ones as they were a reminder of all the fashion, makeup and girly things back home I am missing out on!

“As I am only young, I know I haven’t had a great deal of experience in many jobs, but from what I have seen over here, I doubt you would find this sort of support in any other organisation, my experience here has allowed me to see this, and definitely makes me proud of being part of it. Let me set the scene for you……

“Its 9pm, I have no idea what day it is because you lose track of what day is which. We had plenty of work on the planes as the major maintenance team had a long 12 hour shift ahead to get them fixed to fly at 6am the following morning. If all went well, we would have one fixed and good to continue with missions over Afghanistan. Normally up our end of the tarmac it’s pretty empty and apart from the firies, not many people around. Tonight, there is a large gathering of Army personnel  just waiting. About an hour later, a C17 lands. This is nothing unusual, there are planes coming and going 24 hours a day here, but then something out of the ordinary happened. The C17 shut down its engines, and the group of Army personnel started to move towards the aircraft.

“It’s now almost 11pm, the temperature is about 38 degrees and more humid than Darwin. The Army have all grouped quietly around the edge of the tarmac and begun practicing for the Repat Ceremony the following day. This had to be the most respectful thing I have ever witnessed. For hours, the group of Army boys marched around stood at attention, carried out drill until it was nothing but 150% perfect. Never have I witnessed such a sense of honour and brotherhood among a group of Military personnel.

“I was more amazed and proud of the way in which that soldier was being escorted home. What was important was that the body of our fallen soldier would be returned home respectfully. Our fallen soldier would return home a hero, he would return home in the most honourable and respectful way. It was at that point that I realised how proud I am to be part of the Australian Defence Force, and it is such a comforting feeling to know that if anything were to happen to me, no matter where I was, or what I was doing, I would not just be forgotten about, I would be returned home to my loved ones honourably, and they would be offered all the care and support they needed during that time.”

Now that’s something to think about.

A loyal mutt guards the piles of ANZAC Day care packages to be sent to her hero-hounds from the Explosive Dog Detection Section

As the festive season approaches, the same generous editors and publishers have come to the party again for the Christmas Day care package drive, and this time the talented writer Tara Moss has sent a pile of her books, as did prolific authors Sue Williams and Jimmy Thomson and broadcaster and all-round great girl, Libbi Gorr. Men’s Health have sent copies of their mags for the boys in uniform, and Harper Collins (who published my book about an SAS war hero in Afghanistan, 18 Hours) have donated a stack of books.

One of my favourite Australian singers, David Campbell, has donated a couple of signed copies of his newest CD, Let’s Go, which was released this week. And super prolific Aussie author, sports commentator and all-round good bloke, Peter FitzSimons delivered 10 signed copies of his best-sellers.

Another great friend, Alex Olsson, has also donated a pile of her absolutely glorious body products from her OP Therapy range for our female soldiers. And Australia’s best columnist, Miranda Devine from The Daily Telegraph and Melbourne’s  Herald Sun – the biggest selling daily newspaper in the country – donated two huge boxes of lollies as a Christmas treat.

The Christmas Day care packages will be sent in early December to make it to the troops who will receive them at random on Christmas Day. It’s the least we could do to let them know we are thinking of them at this special time of year.

For more information about how you can thank our brave men and women of the Australian Defence Force, visit the ADF website or go here to the direct link.

Lest we forget.

UPDATE: Thanks to the generosity of all of the above, we managed to send 205 individual Christmas Day care packages to our soldiers, sailors and airmen and women serving in Afghanistan, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.

Explosive Detection Dog Sarbi, in her custom-made red jacket to denote the EDD Section, at the launch of the new book, Saving Private Sarbi (picture Laura Robins)

The former top dog of the Australian Army launched my new book, Saving Private Sarbi, The True Story of Australia’s Canine War Hero, this week with a moving speech in which he highlighted the unbreakable bond between the explosive detection dogs and their handlers.

In a distinguished event at Victoria Barracks in Sydney’s Paddington, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, AC, DSC, CSM (ret) introduced the four-legged hero, Sarbi, saying the highly-trained EDD and her canine counterparts were unrivalled in their ability to protect soldiers from the lethal roadside bombs and improvised explosive devices, the enemy’s weapon of choice in Afghanistan.

No technology had yet been developed that could do what the EDDs do on a daily basis – putting their four paws on the line every time they went to work sniffing out IEDs, LtGen Gillespie said.

Sarbi, who turned nine years old on September 11, was a divine doggie diva as she sat politely on the podium while the General extolled her virtues in front of 70 invited guests from the media, military and mutt worlds.

She even signed an exclusive series of the book by dipping her front right paw in non-toxic ink (vegetable dye). Six limited edition, numbered copies of Saving Private Sarbi pawed by Sarbi and signed by me will be auctioned for Legacy and the Australian Institute for Deaf and Blind Children in the coming year.

Sarbi’s handler, Sergeant D, was unable to attend the launch as he is on his fourth deployment to Afghanistan. His identity is protected – for operational security reasons. He joined the army in 1995 and became a dog handler in 2000.

Among the guests at the launch were several officers and members of the Australian Army family including the wife of  Major General Mick Slater, the officer who recently returned from leading the Queensland floods recovery.

Royal Australian Navy specialist clearance diver, Paul de Gelder, attended, as did one of the original ‘tunnel rats’ from the Vietnam War, Sandy MacGregor.

Well known media identities included Miranda Devine and Piers Akerman from News Limited, Janine Perrett from SkyBusiness, radio and television commentator Melissa Hoyer , gun reporter Kate McClymont from The Sydney Morning Herald, as well as one of the stars of Good News World, Mikey Robins. Fellow authors Caroline Overington (also of The Australian), Sue Williams, Lynne Cossar and Jimmy Thomson were also in attendance.

EDD Sarbi signs a limited edition paw-print for her book, Saving Private Sarbi (picture Sandra Lee)

Some background.

Sarbi and Sgt D have been a team since Sarbi joined the Army in 2005.

Sergeant D was Sarbi’s original trainer and has been her only operational handler.

Sarbi and Sgt D were part of the extensive security team for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and in 2007 were on their first deployment to Afghanistan, where they distinguished themselves with some serious ‘finds’ of enemy weapons and bombs and bomb-making material.

In 2008, Sarbi and Sergeant D were deployed to Uruzgan a second time.

On September 2, they were on patrol in the remote region of Khas Uruzgan.

Sgt D was with 11 troopers from the elite Australian Special Air Service Regiment, about a dozen battle-hardened men from the United States Special Forces, and a team of soldiers from the Afghan National Army.

The Special Forces patrol had one mission: to remove the Taliban from the region.

In the previous 24 hours, they had done a pretty good job of it. En route to base after a successful operation, they were ambushed by up to 100 Taliban fighters hidden in well-fortified positions.

So began a four-hour, do-or-die battle in which nine of the 12 Aussies were wounded, including Sergeant D. Three had life threatening injuries.

Sergeant D’s American counterpart, a dog handler by the name of Sergeant Gregory Rodriguez, was killed in the ambush. Several Afghan soldiers were also wounded. An Afghan interpreter was blown off the back of a US Humvee with Sergeant D and sustained near fatal wounds.

As Lt General Gillespie pointed out at the launch on Wednesday, SAS Trooper Mark Donaldson, distinguished himself during the battle by running into the line of fire several times to help draw fire away from his mates, and to rescue the wounded Afghan interpreter. For these heroic actions, he was later awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross.

Another soldier was awarded the Medal For Gallantry for his actions.

Like her handler, Sarbi was also wounded in the ambush when a razor sharp piece of shrapnel from a rocket propelled grenade sheered through the carabiner’s clip that fastened her to Sgt D. At the end the firefight, she went missing in action, lost in the Afghanistan countryside for the next 13 months.

LtGen Gillespie launches Saving Private Sarbi, with the hound in red beside him

A lot of people wonder about the bond between handler and hound in the Army, but as Lt General Gillespie said at the launch, that connection can never be underestimated.

Many in the audience – including me – fought back tears as the General told of meeting Sergeant D in a field hospital at Tarin Kot the day after the ambush. He was at one end of a ward with seven other wounded Diggers, all lying across from each other, toe to toe.

Lt General Gillespie moved through the ward checking on each of the wounded soldiers and finally came to Sergeant D. The General said he was shocked by the soldier’s face.

“It was almost completely pockmarked,” he said.

Sgt D had also been sliced with shrapnel and razor sharp metal fragmentation from rocket propelled grenades. The only parts of his face unmarked were around his eyes where protective glasses had prevented certain blindness. His legs, torso and arms were also wounded.

To get an idea of how bad he looked, it’s worth noting that during interviews for my book, Sgt D told me that as the convoy of five Humvees roared back to their remote Fire Base Anaconda, he tried to stop a fellow Australian with more serious wounds falling unconscious. The Digger kept closing his eyes, and Sgt D feared if he lost consciousness, he might die.

In the hospital the next day, the soldier told Sgt D he was never in danger of slipping into unconsciousness when he closed his eyes.

“He just didn’t want to look at me because my face was so cut up and looked pretty horrible. I didn’t know how bad it was,” Sgt D told me.

That was the face looking up at LtGen Gillespie. The General asked Sgt D what he had done and who he was.

“I’m the dog handler, Sir.”

As Sgt D explained that Sarbi had gone MIA towards the end of the battle, the veteran soldier choked up and couldn’t finish his sentence. The other seven wounded men all turned their heads away, out of respect and because they were, as the General said, equally distraught by the loss of their four-legged warrior.

It was a telling – and extraordinarily moving – part of the General’s speech

The bond between the explosive detection dogs and their handlers is unbreakable, and the dogs also are a shot of morale for the men and women they work with and around in Afghanistan. It’s no wonder the men in the hospital ward with Sergeant D had to turn away as he did his best to explain what happened.

Animals – especially dogs, and more particularly working dogs on whom we humans rely for so many things – have the incredible ability to lift our spirits; they have the power to transform us humans into something better than we are; to teach us compassion and kindness, and the rewards of unbidden loyalty.

In a way, the ability of the explosive detection dogs to foster a sense of camaraderie and kinship with their two-legged compatriots is unrivalled. It’s why the Special Forces soldiers never gave up on Sarbi and kept an eye out for her every time they went out on patrol. It’s why they finally got her back – in one piece, if a little fatter!

Sarbi was a dog, but she was one of them – an Australian Digger. They never get left behind.

Sarbi finally returned to Australia in December last year and is now back at work at the School of Military Engineering in Holsworthy, training new dog handlers.

She will retire when Sgt D returns from his current deployment to Afghanistan and live out the rest of her days as a pampered pooch, with another retired explosives detection dog, Vegas.

You can buy the book online at any number of sites, or by starting at Allen and Unwin’s homepage here. Saving Private Sarbi is also available in eBook format.

Sapper Darren Smith and EDD Herbie, KIA June 7 2010, Mirabad Valley, Afghanistan (picture supplied by Department of Defence)

Australia’s brave four-legged soldiers have been honoured with the inaugural Military Working Dog Day.

The explosive detection dogs and their security and contraband-sniffing canine companions were feted at a ceremony at the RAAF base in Amberley, Queensland, today.

The Australian Defence Force Trackers and War Dogs Association chose the day to commemorate the first anniversary of the deaths of Sapper Darren Smith, an Explosive Detection Dog dog handler who was killed in action in Afghanistan with his four-legged warrior, Herbie.

Also killed in the Taliban attack was Sapper Jacob Moerland, a 21-year-old explosive ordnance engineer who had been in the army three years and was engaged to be married.

Sapper Smith – Smitty to his mates – was killed when the Taliban detonated by remote control an improvised explosive device that Herbie had detected. The patrol was en route to Camp Holland, where the Australian forces are based in Tarin Kowt.

Sapper Jacob Moerland, killed by an IED in the Mirabad Valley, Oruzgan, June 7, 2010 (picture supplied by Dept of Defence)

The ADFTWDA hopes the Military Working Dog Day, which has been endorsed by the chief of the ADF, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, will become an annual event. It was hosted today by Wing Commander Iain Carty.

The tragic deaths of Sappers Smith, who, at 26, was a happily married father of one, and Moerland marked the first double fatality in a single incident for Australian troops since the Vietnam War.

Five four-legged warriors have been killed in Afghanistan since they were first deployed in 2005. They are EDDs Merlin, Razz, Andy, Nova and Herbie.

Twenty six Australian Diggers have been killed in Afghanistan since the global war on terror began in 2001, the first being SAS Sergeant Andrew Russell, who died when his vehicle struck a land mine in Helmand Province in 2002.

An Australian rifleman serving with the British forces has also been killed.

Lest we forget.

Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith after receiving the Victoria Cross for courage under fire in Afghanistan in 2010 (pic by Cpl Chris Moore, via AAP)

Of all the Australia Day awards that have been handed out today the one that stands out most to me is the Commendation for Gallantry to an anonymous Digger identified only as “Private J, NSW”.

The citation reads: “For acts of gallantry in action as a team member during heavy and sustained enemy fire on Operation Slipper in Afghanistan in 2009″.

For acts of gallantry: that is code for bravery and courage under fire against an armed and dangerous enemy. We won’t know who Private J is for some time as he will be a member of either the Special Air Service Regiment like the highly decorated Corporal Benjamin Roberts-Smith, VC, MG, or the Commandos or the Incident Response Regiment – all of whom work under the cover of anonymity for Operational Security reasons.

The Commendation for Gallantry is significant in its own right – it is ranked fourth in the gallantry commendations behind the Victoria Cross, the Star of Gallantryand the Medal for Gallantry. Private J was seriously brave on his patrol, as the commendation is only awarded for “acts of great heroism and conspicuous gallantry in times of great peril”.

The words “great heroism” and “great peril” are indication enough. And he is not alone. Several other “alphabet” soldiers were also recognised including Corporal A and Private A.

But Private J’s award, like those of his fellow soldiers, is especially poignant coming in the same week that Cpl Roberts-Smith, or RS as his mates know him, was awarded the highest honour for courage under fire, the Victoria Cross for Australia.

RS is now Australia’s most highly decorated soldier, having previously been awarded the prestigious MG for his bravery in the line of fire in Afghanistan in 2006. He is the second SAS trooper to receive the VC for actions in Afghanistan and joins Corporal Mark Donaldson, VC, in the very elite club in which there are only three surviving of the 98 VC recipients, the other being Keith Payne, a Vietnam veteran.

It is worth noting that Sergeant P, another member of RS’s SAS patrol, was recognised today in the Australia Day honours with the Star of Gallantry for his bravery under fire.

Earlier this week in a round of interviews held after RS was announced as Australia’s newest VC he said, “Every soldier deserves to have the country know how willing they are to be out there”.

I couldn’t agree more. They put their hand up to serve our country and put themselves in the line of fire.

Signalman Martin 'Jock' Wallace, MG, fighting for his life in Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan 2002

When I wrote 18 Hours, The True Story of an SAS War Hero I spent hundreds of hours with Signaller Martin ‘Jock’ Wallace who was the first Australian to receive the Medal For Gallantry since the Vietnam War.

It was an enormous honour to be in the company of such a fine and decent gentleman, but I was always struck by one thing – Martin’s humility. He told me he felt like an imposter.

Not because he hadn’t earned the respect that comes with the MG, which he received for helping save the lives of many coalition troops when they were ambushed by a superior number of al Qaeda and Taliban insurgents in the Shahi Kot Valley in southern Afghanistan in Operation Anaconda. But because as he and so many other reluctant heroes say, “I was just doing my job and doing what all my mates were doing. Just about everyone deserved a medal that day”.

Cpl Roberts-Smith said pretty much the same this week. The giant of a man, who has his chest tattooed with the words “I will not fail my brothers”, had a one word answer when asked what made him expose himself to enemy fire to silence Taliban machine-gunners to ensure the safe return of his SAS patrol: “Mateship”.

Goosebumps, right?

Then the happily married, father of twin daughters, added: “I think the biggest sin in my line of work is to let your mates down. You just can’t do it. As those blokes did for me that day, I did for them. It’s that simple. They fought next to me as hard as they could and I gave them 100 percent.”

Now that’s heroism. Real heroism. It is the same type of extraordinary courage in the face of danger displayed by so many ordinary people during the recent floods.

Heroism is instinctive. It can’t be learned. It is innate. That’s why it is so important to acknowledge and celebrate it because when we see it, we understand how it truly can change lives and save souls.

Nicole Kidman on the February 2011 cover of Australian Women's Weekly

Nicole Kidman wants to have more children with Keith Urban and says she no longer cares about the public’s perception of her two oldest children living with her ex-husband, Tom Cruise, or that she is not a part of their everyday lives.

“At this stage, I don’t care what people’s perceptions might be about any of it. It’s my life. It’s my whole life, and I’ll lead it how I choose,” a defiant Kidman tells the February edition of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

Update: Lovely news just out: Kidman and Urban announced in the newest edition of American magazine, People, that they have been blessed with the arrival of a new baby who was born in Nashville via a surrogate mother on December 28.

The baby, Faith Margaret, is Kidman’s and Urban’s biological child.

Congratulations.

Kidman says she will never publicly discuss Isabella’s and Connor’s living arrangements “except to say that I absolutely love them”.

And if you thought the Oscar winning actress was finally about to give up the reasons behind her sudden split from Cruise  a decade ago – think again.

The Hawaiian-born, Nashville-based star who earlier today missed out on a Golden Globe for her performance in her latest film, Rabbit Hole, allows only that it took her six years to “heal” from the pain of the divorce after 10 years of marriage.

“I took a long time to heal, put it that way. I was just very cautious” she tells Bryce Corbett in an exclusive harbour-side chat. “I just really wanted to spend time alone so I could heal. And that took me almost six years, which is unusual I know, but that was just how it was. It had to do with me not having anything to give anyone else.”

Meanwhile, the 43-year-old says she “would love to have more kids” with Urban, with whom she plans on spending the rest of her life.

Kidman was finally “open” to falling in love again when the country crooner came along and asked how her heart was. They have a two-year-old daughter, Sunday.

Kidman looks stunning on the cover, which the mag admits has been “retouched” but not to what extent. Corbett writes “there are smile lines at the corners of her eyes and frown lines on her forehead” but Kidman was still “genetically-blessed”.

Anna Bligh breaks down at press conference today (image from Herald Sun via Channel Nine)

There are times when you want your political leaders to show leadership, true leadership. Leadership of the nation-saving, things-will-be-all-right kind, or as alright as they can in the circumstances.

And for mine, I’d argue that the performance of Queensland Premier Anna Bligh during the past few days has been the apotheosis of her not always stellar political career.

She remained steadfast and calm as deadly muddy waters tore through the hearts, lives and land of rural Queensland, towns many of us had never heard of before, only to push their way to the capital, Brisbane, where flood waters have destroyed tens of thousands of homes, businesses and livelihoods.

I really started listening to her, and watching her, earlier this week when she stood before the press, fighting back tears, concern and fear etched on her face, and said the floods “might be breaking our hearts but they haven’t broken our will”. I felt an oomph. A real physical pulse, a visceral connection. I was with her. I wasn’t alone. Australia was with her. Is with her.

Leadership is about leading. It is about grit, courage, and providing hope in times of crises, all of which Premier Bligh has shown and done since the floods began weeks ago, but even more so these past few days. Her concerns for Queenslanders are writ large. Her devastation at the unbearable tragic loss of life is gut-wrenching, like all of ours, and so intense as to be almost palpable. Her empathy real, sincere.

Premier Bligh has shown extraordinary strength, grace and compassion. Nations need this in their darkest hours, and for Australia but in particular Queensland, there have been many such hours and more to come.

The "inland tsunami" that hit Toowoomba in QLD

The Twitterverse has been alive to Anna Bligh’s character under crisis and marvelled at its strength, composure and determination. And that’s just a handful of the words used in a medium that is more often laced with cruel, razor sharp and destructive invective than it is praise.

I think there is something else. Communication. Connecting with your fellow Australians – not “my constituents” as Kevin Rudd clumsily called the people in his electorate on Wednesday.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt did it during the Depression with his fireside chats, keeping the public appraised of terrible events and giving hope.

Bligh, in jeans and shirt and boots and belt, a sheen of sweat and hair as best as it can look, has not shirked telling us what we want to know: when, where, how and how bad. She has spoken with confidence about how Queenslanders, a tough, resilient breed, will prevail after Mother Nature has done her worst and how the rest of Australia will help them. Confidence in a crisis is king, or queen as it may be in this case.

Bligh has delivered the good news when we most needed it, like yesterday when much of Brisbane was still being threatened by rising waters yet to peak. Our national spirit soared when she revealed that two of the three people who were photographed being swept away on the roof of their white car – a photograph that came to symbolise so much about the humanity of the floods – had been found.

We needed that good news amid the horror and carnage that was played out on YouTube and caught by camera phones, amid the unimaginably heartbreaking stories of families riven by the raging floods, some killed, others surviving – tragic each way. Our hearts sank though when she told us that the search continued for the third person, a racing steward named James Perry whose wife, Jenny, and son, Ted, had been rescued.

There is much more bad news to come, more immeasurably sad stories of death and destruction, and achingly poignant tales of ordinary Australians doing extraordinary things for their neighbours, friends, families and strangers. The heroes among us. The ones who don’t give their surnames, just get on with it.

And the heroes lost to the floods, heroes like Josh Ross who refused to leave his wheel-chair bound mother, Brenda; brave Jordan Rice, just 13-years-old, who perished with his mum Donna Rice after insisting rescuers retrieve his younger brother first; Steve and Sandy Matthews who were swept away after helping save two of their four children. Theirs are names we won’t forget, they are the faces of the floods. There are others we don’t know of yet but when we do, we’ll remember them, too.

Bligh has also done wonders by delivering us heroes to help guide us through the mess, like Major General Mick Slater from the Australian Army who is leading the rebuilding and in whom you automatically have enormous trust.

Major General Mick Slater, who will lead the rebuilding of QLD after the devastating floods

It’s called faith, and we’ve got faith that he will be able to do it and he will, with help from the civilian armies of the State Emergency Services around the nation, the public, and other agencies. We somehow know that Queensland will be rebuilt. There’s no doubt, no hand-wringing. Just doing. It has already begun, he told Channel Seven’s Mel Doyle and anyone else who put a microphone in front of him.

Early today at another televised press conference the enormity of the situation finally tested Anna Bligh’s enormous inner strength, but it didn’t break her. As she addressed the nation again, with her helpers standing behind her, she cried. Australians have been crying for days. We were with her in her tears.

The resourceful explosives detection dog Sarbi has returned to Australia after a six-month stint in quarantine in the Middle East.

The plucky dog went missing in action for 14 months in southern Afghanistan in September 2008 and was finally returned to the Australian Army by an American Special Forces soldier in October last year.

Sarbi was involved in the same incident against Taliban fighters in which Special Air Service Trooper Mark Donaldson was awarded the prestigious Victoria Cross, the first Australian to receive the medal since the Vietnam War. Nine of the 12 soldiers involved in the incident were injured, including Sarbi’s handler, Sergeant D*.

After a few months padding around the Australian base at Tarin Kowt, Sarbi was flown to an approved veterinary facility in Dubai where, under Australia’s tough quarantine restrictions, she was forced to spend six months under  observation to ensure she hadn’t picked up any diseases before she was allowed to return home with her fellow two-legged Diggers this afternoon.

Sarbi is a member of the EDD Section and a vital military asset, albeit on four legs. She’s also a shot in the arm for morale for troops deployed overseas and has an exceptional talent for retrieving tennis balls.

The loveable hound is a celebrity dog having met former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, retired four star general in the United States Army, Stanley McChrystal (he of the infamous interview in Rolling Stone magazine), Australia’s Governor General and a litany of military brass.

More importantly, though, she has been successful in detecting the deadly roadside bombs known as IEDs – improvised explosive devices – the weapon of choice of Taliban fighters and terrorists in Afghanistan and has saved countless lives and protected coalition forces from life threatening injuries.

According to a statement from the Australian Army, Sarbi will resume operational roles with the Incident Response Regiment - which falls under the Special Operations Command – after she sits out another month in quarantine in Australia.

As with Australia’s other EDDs, Sarbi has already been awarded a medal for her service in Afghanistan – which includes two tours of duty in 2007 and 2008.

I’m sure the hero hound would also want to paws (geddit?) for a moment to show her respect for her five fellow explosives detection dogs who have made the ultimate sacrifice and paid with their lives in Afghanistan.

They are Merlin, Razz, Nova, Herbie and Andy.

Attagirl, Sarbi. Welcome home to our four-legged warrior.

* Sgt D can not be named for operational security reasons.

Lest we forget.

(The photograph of Sarbi was supplied by the Army – shows her on board her flight back to Australia. Love the royal blue carpet.)

Australians love to lionise our sporting heroes for their athletic triumphs and tragedies and the way they bounce back. Witness swimmer Geoff Huegill’s brilliant return to the pool at Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Seven-times world champ Layne Beachley in action

But a nobler and greater heroism can be found when they go out of their comfort zone to help others, and this year some of our nation’s best are doing that to raise money for the Humpty Dumpty Foundation - a charity that raises millions of dollars each year to help save the lives of sick and injured children in Australia and East Timor.

Rugby star Phil Kearns is leading the way again when he and well-known Sydney accountant and man-about-town Anthony Bell lead a crew of fellow champs on board the Loyal Foundation’s yacht for the 2010 Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Sailing with them is seven-times world surfing champion Layne Beachley (legend), world title boxer Danny Green (one of the most decent men in the ring and out of it), dual Olympic silver and bronze medallist, Geoff Huegill, who also can boast of five Commonwealth Games gold medals and countless world record titles, and a fellow rugby star Phil Waugh, 113 Waratah caps and 79 Wallaby caps.

As Kearns said in an email he just sent to me and others who know about Humpty’s great work: “I’ve got nothing……..what about these dudes who are sailing with me and will be at the event! All of them are giving up their time for Humpty and to raise as much as we can to buy medical equipment for kids hospitals and wards around the country.”

Danny Green, world title holder, and Sydney-to-Hobart sailor

Kearns, Green and Waugh sailed in the world’s most exciting ocean-going yacht race last year and came fourth. Not bad for the first timers. They also raised $700,000 for 14 charities, and $50,000 for Humpty. This year, they are chasing the magical $1 million and have managed to turn an iconic race into a generous charity.

One other thing: Kearns is a great bloke, he’s also a big tease. He says one of Australia’s best cricketers is also joining the Loyal crew, but he won’t give up the name until next week. Here’s a hint, though: said cricketer has played in 103 Tests for Australia. Stay tuned!

If you want to help, go to Humpty’s and Loyal’s websites. And watch this heart-rending video to see the good work the foundation is doing. You won’t be sorry.

Australian soldiers have been fighting in Afghanistan since 2001 – not long after Al Qaeda terrorists murdered 2977 innocent victims at the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, the Pentagon in Washington DC, and the crash site of the downed United Airlines flight 93 in Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001.

Since then, 21 brave Australian Diggers have lost their lives while serving our country in the Middle East.

Each death is a tragedy beyond description; each leaves a family stricken with grief and immeasurable loss; some of these great and selfless men are survived by children who weren’t even born when they deployed. They also leave behind their fellow soldiers who forge ahead, knowing that their work honours the memories of their fallen mates.

Thankfully, we have the voices of the wives and girlfriends, like Mrs Beckie MacKinney, the widow of Lance Corporal Jared “Crash” MacKinney who was killed in action in Afghanistan while serving with the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney with his wife, Beckie, and daughter Annabell (picture courtesy Defence.gov.au)

Commander of the Joint Task Force 633, Major General John Cantwell said MacKinney was killed by Taliban insurgents while “protecting and supporting his mates” in a firefight in the Deh Rawud region of Uruzgan province on August 24. He was 28 years old.

Mrs MacKinney, who buries her husband today, is due to give birth to hers and Jared’s second child, a son, in a couple of weeks. Her words will break your heart, and it is important that we hear them. And remember them. And keep them in our hearts.

The long journey without Jared has begun for Annabell and me, and soon also little Noah Jared who is due to come into the world in a fortnight. Noah will never get to meet his father but he will come to know him for the incredible man he was through our love and memories.

So many people have helped our families through the dark times of the last few days, people we know and also many people we have never met, who wanted to help ease our pain.

On behalf of the families I would like to very sincerely thank them for their best wishes and generous support.  I would like you to know that it made a very real difference. In the next few weeks I hope I can personally thank as many of you as I can

To Jared’s mates in Afghanistan and back home – we were all very proud of Jared and the work he loved doing.  I want to thank you for your caring and the incredible messages of support and I know Jared would want me to tell you that we are very proud of you and fully support you in the job you are doing for us all.

I would also like to express our appreciation to the media for the very sensitive manner in which they have covered the tragic events of the past few weeks, and also their ongoing respect for our privacy.

We have reached the deepest depths of despair since we were told of Jared’s death, but we have also been helped and comforted by the support and extraordinary generosity of spirit of old friends, new friends, and strangers who cared.

Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney from the 6RAR, killed in action in Afghanistan on August 24, 2010, (picture courtesy Defence.gov.au)

Mrs MacKinney’s statement was released via the Army. More than 700 people are at Crash MacKinney’s funeral in Brisbane today, including his fellow Diggers from the 6RAR, the Chief of Defence, Angus Houston, the Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition leader Tony Abbott.

His courage was infinite. His mates and family will never forget him, and neither should our nation or the Defence Force for whom he made the ultimate sacrifice.

Lest we forget.

Grant Kirby, 35

Tomas Dale, 21

Jason Brown, 29

Nathan Bewes, 23

Tim Aplin, 38

Ben Chuck, 27

Scott Palmer, 27

Darren Smith, 25

Jacob Moerland, 21

Benjamin Ranaudo, 22

Brett Till, 31

Mathew Hopkins, 21

Gregory Michael Sher, 30

Michael Fussell, 25

Sean McCarthy, 25

Jason Marks, 27

Luke Worsley, 26

Matthew Locke, 33

David Pearce, 41

Andrew Russell, 33