Update on 23rd May Special Forces incident in Middle East

Defence has commenced planning for the repatriation of Sergeant Brett Wood to Australia.

No firm date has been set as yet but it is likely that he will arrive home next week.

A memorial service and ramp ceremony will be held in Tarin Kot to honour Sergeant Wood before he is flown to the Australian national headquarters in the United Arab Emirates and transferred to a C-17-A Globemaster aircraft to commence his journey home.

The two soldiers who were wounded in the dismounted improvised explosive device blast that killed Sergeant Wood have been under continual care by medical specialists since being wounded.

There has been a significant improvement in their medical condition with one of the soldiers being transferred from the ISAF medical facility in Kandahar to Multi National Base Tarin Kot last night. The condition of this second soldier now allows him to be managed as an out-patient.

The soldier remaining at Kandahar is also in a satisfactory and stable condition and he is also expected to return to Tarin Kot today.

The three other soldiers wounded in a separate small arms fire incident on Monday, 23 May 2011 were transferred to the ISAF medical facility in Kandahar that evening and transferred to the ISAF medical facility at Multi-National Base Tarin Kot on Tuesday, 24 May 2011. All are in a stable condition and are being managed as out-patients in Tarin Kot.