Defence defines battle casualties as personnel who are killed, wounded, missing or captured as a consequence of action against the enemy.

Australian force protection measures are designed to minimise our casualties in a combat area. However, when they occur, Defence takes very good care of them
 

Definition of “wounded”

By definition, a Defence member that is serving in warlike circumstances and is involved in contact with the adversary, either through direct engagement, or indirectly (eg. road-side bombing), and is hurt, is said to have been “wounded”. A Defence member hurt in an incident that has not been the result of adversarial action in warlike circumstances is said to have been “injured”.
 

Treatment of Battle Casualties

Service personnel who are wounded on operations but the physical impairment is minor are treated and, once fit, are able to return to service.

If, however, the impairment is serious, they are transferred as rapidly as possible and provided with appropriate treatment at the nearest hospital. On occasions, the impairment may require additional treatment at a specialist facility in Germany.

For the more serious wounded, once the impairment has been stabilised, the member is returned to Australia for additional treatment and rehabilitation.  Within five to 10 days of returning to Australia, the member is placed in the ADF rehabilitation program which manages all their health and rehabilitation requirements. The aim of this program is to provide the best health care while reducing the confusion for the member and their family in dealing with multiple agencies as they recover.

 

• Amputations,

• Fractures,

• Gun shot wounds, 

• Hearing loss,

• Lacerations/contusions,

• Concussion/traumatic brain wounds,

• Penetrating fragments, and

• Multiple severe wounds.

Defence is continuing to review and consolidate a number of databases and as such, this figure could be subject to adjustment in the future. This review process is being undertaken to ensure that all Defence personnel wounded in operations are accurately recorded.
 

2010 incidents

• For 2010, 49 Australian soldiers have suffered wounds as a result of battle. Twenty two soldiers have returned to Australia for further medical treatment.

• Of the 49 soldiers to suffer wounds, 38 soldiers were involved in improvised explosive device attacks, three soldiers were wounded during contact with the Taliban and seven soldiers were wounded as the result of an aircraft incident.

• Nine soldiers have suffered fractures. Five soldiers suffered hearing loss. Eight soldiers suffered wounds from penetrating fragments. Seven soldiers have suffered from lacerations / contusions, two from gun shot wounds, and five from other injuries. Six of the soldiers suffered mild traumatic brain injury. This type of injury will likely be reported with increasing frequency as new testing methods are introduced lowering the threshold for detection and reporting. Seven soldiers suffered multiple injuries following an aircraft incident.

Australians Wounded in Action

49 Australian soldiers have been wounded this year. To date 149 personnel have been wounded since Operation Slipper began

ADF personnel deployed to Afghanistan killed in action

In addition to those personnel wounded the Australian Defence Force has suffered 21 operational deaths in Afghanistan. These include:

• Sergeant Andrew Russell, SASR, died of wounds sustained when his patrol vehicle struck an anti-tank mine on 16 February, 2002
  
   

• Trooper David Pearce, 2/14 LHR QMI, was killed when his ASLAV was struck by an IED on 8 October, 2007.
  
   

• Sergeant Matthew Locke, SASR, was killed by Taliban insurgent small-arms fire on 25 October, 2007.
  
   

• Private Luke Worsley, 4RAR(Cdo), was killed by Taliban insurgent small-arms fire on 23 November, 2007.
  
   

• Lance Corporal Jason Marks, 4RAR (Cdo), was killed by Taliban insurgent small-arms fire on 27 April, 2008.
  
   

• Signaller Sean McCarthy, SASR, was killed when the vehicle he was travelling in was struck by an IED on 8 July, 2008.
  
   

• Lieutenant Michael Fussell, 4RAR(Cdo), was killed when struck by an IED during a dismounted patrol on 27 November, 2008.
  
   

• Private Gregory Sher, 1st Commando Regiment, was killed in a rocket attack on 4 January, 2009.
  
   

• Corporal Mathew Hopkins, 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, was killed during an engagement with the Taliban on 16th March 2009.
  
   

• Sergeant Brett Till, Incident Response Regiment, was killed by an explosion during a route clearance task on the 19th March 2009.  
  
   

• Private Benjamin Ranaudo, 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment was killed as a result of an IED on 18 July 2009.
  
   

• Sapper Jacob Moerland, 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment was killed as a result of an IED strike on 7 June 2010.
  
   

• Sapper Darren Smith, 2nd Combat Engineers Regiment died of wounds sustained during an IED strike on 7 June 2010.
  
   

• Private Timothy Aplin, 2nd Commando Regiment died as a result of a helicopter crash on 21 June 2010.
  
   

• Private Scott Palmer, 2nd Commando Regiment died as a result of a helicopter crash on 21 June 2010.
  
   

• Private Benjamin Chuck, 2nd Commando Regiment died of wounds sustained in a helicopter crash on 21 June 2010.
  
   

• Private Nathan Bewes, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment  was killed as a result of an IED on 09 July 2010.
  
   

• Trooper Jason Brown, Special Air Service Regiment died as a result of gunshot wounds sustained in an engagement with insurgents on 14 August 2010.
  
   

• Private Tomas Dale, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment was killed as a result of an IED strike on 20 August 2010.
  
   

• Private Grant Kirby, 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment was killed as a result of an IED strike on 20 August 2010.
  
   

• A member of the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, was killed during an engagement with insurgents on 24 August 2010.

Public information during incidents

Defence aims to provide public information on every operational incident involving battle casualties (wounded and killed in action). Operational tempo, ongoing operations and special operations are three factors which may lead to occasional inconsistency in reporting. However, media enquiries about casualty figures are updated as appropriate when operational circumstances permit.

Defence guidance on the release of public information during incidents includes:

• The ADF will not release the names of casualties until Next of Kin (NOK) procedures have been completed.

• The ADF will not comment on the circumstances or causes of an incident until any investigation has been completed and if it is likely to be subjected to disciplinary proceedings.

Public release of names

Names of ADF members (not afforded protected identity status) remaining in an operational area following an announced wounding or injury will not be released.

Names of ADF members (not afforded protected identity status) returning to Australia for treatment will remain protected until authorised for release by the individual member concerned. Names of ADF deceased will be released in consultation with the member’s family.

Only Special Forces soldiers, who have protected identity status, may have their names withheld when they are admitted into non-military hospitals. There is no policy to hide the identity of other Australian soldiers undergoing medical treatment and rehabilitation in private or public hospitals. 

Frequently Asked Questions

- There was a recent quote stating that AME is too slow in Afghanistan, often taking two hours, is that true for Australians too?

The ADF will always seek to evacuate wounded personnel to medical facilities as rapidly as possible. Our people are our priority.

The ADF is satisfied that the ISAF AME support arrangements provided for our personnel in Afghanistan are appropriate.

In Afghanistan, while a battlefield recovery time of one hour is achieved in many circumstances, there are reasons why it is not always practical.

- What are the mandated timings for treatment?

Treatment is based on the severity of wounds and can be complicated by the tactical situation, particularly if troops are still engaged with Taliban extremists.

For life-threatening wounds the following timings are mandated by ISAF and endorsed by Australia:

Casualties receive advanced resuscitation support within one hour. Often this resuscitation capability deploys forward with the combat element.

Casualties are evacuated to a medical facility able to provide surgery within two hours. 

A surgical team may be moved forward to a pre-determined location in order to provide limited surgical intervention, referred to as Damage Control Surgery (DCS), ensuring that the casualties can receive surgery within the two hour timeframe.

For non life-threatening wounds the timings are extended although in many cases the evacuation process is such that the same timings result.

- What is a NOTICAS?

Notification of casualty (NOTICAS) is the name for the formal reporting of casualties within the Australian Defence Force. This reporting informs the chain of command and provides information that is passed to families of deployed personnel. NOTICAS reports are raised for every wounding and the reporting is undertaken as quickly as possible. Where possible, contact with the family takes precedence over all other considerations.

- How does the ADF treat a casualty?

The casualty treatment process is layered to provide the best possible care for Australian troops.

Initially, casualties are provided first aid or administer self aid with combat medical supplies carried within the tactical force.

All Australian soldiers are trained in basic first aid.

During initial first aid, an assessment is made as to the severity of the wounds. If required soldiers will call for additional medical support or an evacuation of the wounded person.

Tactical units may also include combat first aid trained personnel who have received advanced training in the initial treatment of wounds likely to be encountered on a battlefield.

Special Forces patrols often include a patrol first aider or advanced combat first aider. These soldiers are trained in advanced first aid procedures and are similar to paramedics in the civilian world.

If required, wounded personnel will be evacuated to a medical facility for further treatment. This evacuation is conducted by the most suitable means, usually a helicopter.

Australians serving in Uruzgan rely on a team of highly skilled Dutch, Singaporean and Australian trauma and medical staff working in a well equipped facility in Tarin Kot.

The Tarin Kot facility performs initial trauma management similar to the emergency department of a civilian hospital.  If required, the facility can perform surgery to treat wounded soldiers.