Our People in QLD
Joshua Knight - On Patrol in Afghanistan
Former Miles boy Joshua Knight, 22, is now earning his living in the dangerous valleys of Afghanistan. He’s part of the Australian Army’s Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force and helping train the Afghan Army.
Joshua attended Dulacca State School and Miles State High, and was involved in several sporting clubs including Miles Rugby League Club and Chinchilla Boxing Club.
Joshua joined the Australian Defence Force in 2006 where he decided to specialise as an infantry soldier. He’s normally based in Townsville as a Private in the 1st Battalion, The The Royal Australian Regiment.
But these days he is located at a Forward Operating Base in the Chora valley, southern Afghanistan.
Joshua’s job is to mentor the Afghan National Army (ANA), teaching them various skills including infantry tactics. He lives, trains, patrols and fights the insurgents along side them everyday.
“I patrol alongside the Afghan soldiers and help train them up,” said Joshua. “I like getting out on the ground and doing what we are trained to do.”
“Many of the local customs are unusual but this time of year at least the weather is hot and dry.
This is Joshua’s second overseas deployment. He served in the humidity of Timor Leste for seven months in 2007.
When Joshua gets back home he’s looking forward to having a few beers with the boys and visiting his family.
Joshua is part of Australia's military contribution Afghanistan, which in turn is part of Australia’s broader commitment to Coalition efforts against international terrorism, countering piracy in the Gulf of Aden, and maritime security. The Australian deployment, comprising around 1550 personnel in Afghanistan and a further 850 across the Middle East, is know as Operations SLIPPER.
Under Operation SLIPPER, Australian forces contribute to both the efforts of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) - led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan which is aimed at preventing Afghanistan again becoming a safe haven for international terrorists, and the United States-led International Coalition Against Terrorism.