Australian peacekeepers in Afghanistan with UNAMA from 2003 to 2017

Situation in Afghanistan

After the Taliban regime was removed from power in late 2001 by the United States-led coalition, Afghanistan lacked stable national institutions. Much of the country was still affected by warlord control, armed factions, insecurity, landmines, displacement, humanitarian crisis and the collapse of basic services.

In December 2001, Afghan factions met under UN auspices and agreed to the Bonn Agreement. This created an Afghan Interim Authority from 22 December 2001 and set out a transition process toward a loya jirga (grand council), a transitional administration, a new constitution and elections.

At the same time, the UN Security Council authorised the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The ISAF would help maintain security in Kabul and the surrounding areas, enabling the Afghan Interim Authority and UN personnel to operate.

Establishment of UNAMA

The UN established the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) on 28 March 2002 by the UN Security Council Resolution 1401.

The mission would support the Afghan people and interim authorities through:

• political transition
• humanitarian coordination
• reconstruction effort.

The UN Security Council mandate tasked the UNAMA with:

the promotion and support of humanitarian assistance in line with humanitarian principles, human rights, equality for women and girls, inclusive governance, resilience, and economic stability, and using our good offices for principled and constructive engagement with all national, regional and global stakeholders in the pursuit of Afghanistan's peace and stability.

[UNAMA Mandate, 28 March 2002.]

UNAMA was established to integrate all UN activities in Afghanistan. These activities aimed to help the Afghan people consolidate peace and rebuild their institutions.

Current status

UNAMA continues and is generally reviewed every 12 months. It no longer contains a military unit, so no ADF personnel are attached to the mission.

Australian involvement in UNAMA

Australia's contribution to UNAMA was a whole-of-government effort.

Locally employed people, commonly referred to as Afghans, and contractors from Australia and elsewhere also contributed to UNAMA.

The ADF's involvement in the war in Afghanistan began in 2001 with the start of Operation Slipper. While this much larger force was active, ADF personnel attached to UNAMA served as peacekeepers in non-combat roles.

ADF personnel were involved in UNAMA during 2 periods:

• Operation Palate from April 2003 to July 2004
• Operation Palate II from 26 June 2005 to March 2017.

Public records do not yet share the number of ADF personnel who served with UNAMA.

Other Australian Government agencies operated under separate names. For example, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) contributed to UNAMA through:

• Operation Contego from 2008 to 2010
• Operation Synergy from 2009 to 2010
• Operation Illuminate from 2010 to 2014.

Role of the ADF

Across both operations, Australian officers served as:

• military advisers
• military liaison officers
• military observers.

ADF personnel provided specialist support within UNAMA's political and security architecture, such as:

• liaising with military actors
• advising UN leadership on military matters
• supporting the mission's broader stabilisation and peace-support objectives.
   

Operation Palate

The ADF first contributed personnel to UNAMA in April 2003 under Operation Palate.

The Department of Defence explained Australia's contribution to UNAMA in 2003:

The Australian Defence Force has already played a significant and successful role in Afghanistan as part of the international coalition against terrorism … The Government is pleased to make an ongoing contribution in support of UN efforts to transition Afghanistan to peace.

['Army officer to work with UN Mission in Afghanistan', Defence media release, 18 April 2003.]

The initial ADF commitment during Operation Palate was one Australian Army officer. The first Australian to serve in this role was Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Mead, who was a military liaison officer.

The role of the military liaison officer was to establish and maintain liaison with:

• Coalition forces
• the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force
• the emerging Afghan Army.

Operation Palate concluded on 5 July 2004 after Australia's initial time-limited contribution of one ADF liaison officer ended. Australia provided further support through Operation Palate II from 2005 to 2017.

Operation Palate II

By 2005, rising regional instability prompted Australia to expand its presence in Afghanistan. This coincided with the ADF redeploying to UNAMA on 27 June 2005 under Operation Palate II. The Australians served in advisory roles, often moving through the Afghan countryside to complete their work.

The ADF's contribution to UNAMA through Operation Palate II wound down in 2017, as part of Australia's gradual winding down of personnel in Afghanistan after combat roles ceased in 2014.

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Experiences of Australians

In 2014, 5 ADF officers were serving with the UNAMA Military Adviser Unit, including Australian Brigadier William Date as the unit's Senior Military Adviser.

The military advisers maintained contact and liaison with all military forces throughout Afghanistan on behalf of UNAMA. This involved extensive travel around the country. It also meant the ADF members often worked alongside personnel from many different nations, including Afghanistan, Czechia, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Sweden and the Netherlands.

Brigadier Date had a long career in the Australian Army, including appointments as the Commander of the 11th Infantry Brigade and the 2nd Combat Engineers Regiment. His operational history included deployments to Bougainville, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2014, he was the chief of UNAMA's Military Advisory Unit.

Squadron Leader Robert Saunders had joined the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as an apprentice in 1984. Throughout a long military career, he deployed to India, the United States, Israel and Afghanistan. In 2014, Saunders served with UNAMA for 7 months as a staff officer to Brigadier Date.

When Saunders returned to Australia, he said he had enjoyed engaging with Afghans and living in the UN compound.

This has to be one of the best jobs for personnel deployed to Afghanistan simply because of the fascinating work that we do and the significant local engagement we get with the general public. Unlike people deployed to Operation SLIPPER, United Nations personnel aren't confined to the bases such as in Kandahar and Kabul … On a personal level, I learned a lot, saw a lot and got to see a substantial portion of Afghanistan as a result of assisting Brigadier Date and travelled on a range of Coalition aircraft. On the professional side, I was able to meet and be exposed to the work of 3 and 4-star generals of a lot of foreign countries which is something I would not get the chance to do back home. It was also a great experience to work alongside personnel from the Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands. I would have no hesitation throwing my hand up for a UN job again.

[Robert Saunders quoted in 'UN Mission is dream job for Rob', 2014]

A few years later, when Saunders represented Australia at the Invictus Games, he reflected on the effects of his peacekeeping service in Afghanistan.

It was a fantastic deployment. Very tiring. Long days. But it was, I suppose, the constant insider threat – not knowing who was your friend, who wasn't with the Afghans – that subconsciously plays on you. We had 3 Australians killed by insider attack while I was there. There was several Czechoslavakians killed by insider attacks. And they were all people that we thought were friends.

[Rob Saunders quoted in 'Invictus, it lifts you', 2018.]

The hardship and effects of service also have a lasting impact on families.

It did seem that he'd changed. He just didn't – he didn't reintegrate with the family. There were times when he would be in tears and not be able to tell me why.

[Nicole Saunders quoted in 'Invictus, it lifts you', 2018.]

Lieutenant Colonel Todd Everett served with UNAMA in 2013 and 2014 under Operation Palate II. As a military adviser based in Kabul for almost 13 months, he liaised with other ADF personnel and acted as a link between the ISAF and the UN.

While working in Afghanistan, Everett described some of his experiences:

I have seen a lot more of the Afghan countryside than I thought I would, travelling to various outposts and facilities to speak with various Afghan units … he first half of my deployment meant that I worked closely with the Afghan civilians who work in UNAMA. I have found them all to be very gracious, welcoming, very concerned for the safety of everyone and wanting real change to come to their country … I have visited a lot of areas in the north-east region including the provinces of Takhar, Badakhshan and Baghlan and at one stage travelled to as close as 10 km of the Tajikistan border – it's been an amazing experience … There's a long list of places I never thought I would have visited such as Mazar-e-Sharif, the location of Headquarters Regional Command–North, Bamyan, Kandahar and Jalalabad … I can't wait to get home, watch some rugby and spend time with my family … It's easy for us on operations – we have a job to do and we know what we need to achieve – but for the families, they get up each morning look at the watch to see what time it is in the operational area. They don't know what we might be facing … The families do an amazing job to support us

[quoted in 'Todd Everett - UNAMA role provides different Afghan perspective', 2014.]

Commemoration

It is now recognised that although some aspects of peace operations are unique, peacekeepers' operational experience is often considered warlike service. This was the case with both operations Palate and Palate II.

Personnel who meet the criteria may be eligible for the following medals:

• Australian Active Service Medal with International Coalition Against Terrorism (ICAT) clasp
• Afghanistan Medal
• United Nations Special Service Medal.

The UN medal is one of many foreign honours and awards that Australians may accept and wear.

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National Peacekeepers' Day

On 14 September each year, we observe National Peacekeepers' Day. It is the anniversary of the day Australia became the first nation to deploy peacekeepers to the field. This was in the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) in 1947. It's a day to recognise the important work of those who have served, and continue to serve, in the name of global peace.

Learn more about Australia's peacekeeping missions since 1947.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers

29 May is a UN day to commemorate and acknowledge all people who have served as UN peacekeepers, including military, police and civilian personnel. Since UN peacekeeping began, more than 4,000 peacekeepers from many countries have lost their lives while performing their duties under the UN flag.