Around 100 Australian Defence Force members from the fourth rotation of Combined Team Uruzgan (CT-U4) arrived home in Darwin overnight after an eight-month deployment to the Middle East Area of Operations.
Members of CT-U4 were drawn from a range of units across Defence, with the majority of the returning members from the Australian Army’s 1st Brigade, based in Darwin.
As part of Australia’s contribution to the Combined Team Uruzgan (CT-U) multi-national brigade-level headquarters, Australia’s CT-U4 was responsible for mentoring the Afghanistan National Security Forces within Uruzgan province and worked alongside staff officers and personnel from the United States, Singapore, and Slovakia who planned and led counterinsurgency operations within Uruzgan.
Commander of 1st Brigade, Brigadier John Frewen, was at Darwin International Airport to welcome the members home.
“The experience these members received working with our International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) allies during their eight-month deployment will be invaluable when the Australian Army leads ISAF operations again in the future,” Brigadier Frewen said.
“All members of CT-U4 should be proud of their contribution and the way they achieved their mission.”
The returning members were primarily responsible for commanding, administering and coordinating the multinational operations within Uruzgan. Approximately eight members of CT-U4 remain in theatre and will conduct tours of up to 12 months to ensure continuity in their areas.
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