Luke Gosling (Solomon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Over the past week and a half I have been lucky enough to be part of an Australian Defence Force parliamentary program visiting our troops in the Middle East, in the UAE and Afghanistan. During that time I was able to see our incredibly professional men and women of the Navy, Army and Air Force and Defence civilians going about their job on our behalf in the Middle East. A highlight of this trip was spending time with Lieutenant Colonel Steve Jenkins and the team at the Afghan National Officer Academy, training the next generation of Afghan officers. Together with the mentors and also the Force Protection elements, they showed us an excellent view into the important work we are doing in that country.

Last Anzac Day they held a special dawn service outside the National Officer Academy in Qargha. They went up on top of Mount Charandaz to hold a service, and some wonderful photos were taken of that service. These can be seen in the Army newspaper and were also painted by Jillian Oliver. A former policewoman who had lost the use of her right arm in a tragic accident, she uses painting as rehabilitation and paints with her left arm. She was so taken by those photos that she painted the scene on Mount Charandaz. I purchased that painting, and it will sit proudly in my office here in Parliament House.