Documenting war while living through it

For years, CPO Paul Berry followed Australian soldiers into Afghanistan’s most dangerous regions.

His first deployment came in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, when, still in his early 20s, he served as an able seaman boatswain’s mate on HMAS Sydney during Operation Slipper in the Middle East.

There he conducted boarding operations on oil tankers near Iraq and Iran while witnessing the massive military response unfolding around Afghanistan.

“We watched US aircraft carriers launch bombing missions into Afghanistan and saw missiles being launched from ships. It was pretty epic,” he said.

“I certainly knew that [we] were in a hotspot, that’s for sure.”

Determined to pursue a career behind the camera, CPO Berry transferred to imagery specialist in 2004 and soon found himself documenting operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Middle East.

Over five Afghanistan deployments between 2008 and 2015, he spent almost 18 months on the ground.

The job took him everywhere from remote patrol bases in Helmand Province to Special Operations Task Group missions in some of the country’s most volatile regions.

“At Forward Operating Base Armadillo, in Helmand Province, there were huge raging gun battles going on and they were firing a lot of artillery rounds in support of coalition forces,” he said.

In 2008, CPO Berry embedded with Australian artillery personnel during their first operational deployment since the Vietnam War, working alongside British, Danish and coalition forces in Helmand Province.

In 2009, he accompanied special operations personnel on a large patrol into the Kush Kadir Valley.

“That was pretty mind-blowing because that was a very serious environment. Probably the most afraid I’ve ever been,” CPO Berry said.

While some deployments were memorable because of the unique opportunities they provided, others were marked by tragedy.

In 2010, he deployed with Mentoring Task Force 1 in Uruzgan Province during one of the deadliest periods of Australia's involvement in Afghanistan.

Ten Australian soldiers were killed in action during a two-month period while he was in theatre.

“It was the toughest thing I've ever done,” he said.

In his role, he was responsible for documenting each ramp ceremony.

“My job was to shoot video or capture it in stills, which would go to the families,” he said.

The role later evolved when CPO Berry became a military reporter, allowing him to tell stories through images and words.

In 2011, he returned to Afghanistan, travelling between Tarin Kowt, Kabul and Kandahar in search of stories that highlighted the work of Australian personnel across the mission.

That deployment included coverage of a green-on-blue attack that killed three Australian soldiers and seriously wounded a number of others.

He later travelled to Germany to document the aeromedical evacuation of the wounded as they began their journey home after receiving care at a US military hospital.

CPO Berry returned to Afghanistan for a final operational deployment in 2015 under Operation Highroad, documenting Australian advisers and personnel working in Kabul and Kandahar as the mission transitioned away from combat operations.

Despite the hardships, the deployments reinforced his passion for storytelling and documenting military service.

He said being one of the few Navy personnel embedded with Army units helped shape his career.

“Probably, on reflection, I spent more time in joint or Army environments than I did in Navy throughout my 23-year career,” he said.

“I was proud to represent the Navy during those deployments.”

The experience taught him how to earn trust in unfamiliar environments and gave him a unique perspective on Australia’s military operations.

Although CPO Berry’s final operational deployment was in 2015, he later returned to Afghanistan while posted to Government House, accompanying Governor-General David Hurley on a visit to deployed Australian personnel.

The dust and heat of Afghanistan remain vivid memories.

“To this day I can still taste and smell the dust when I see photos or videos from Afghanistan,” he said.

As Australia marks 25 years since the beginning of operations in Afghanistan, CPO Berry said he reflects less on the places he visited and more on the people he met.

His advice to young photographers remained simple.

“Grab every opportunity that you can because you never know where your career can take you. The experiences will change your life,” he said.