INTRODUCTION
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) has been involved in peacekeeping since 1947. The first peacekeeping operation - the United Nations Good Offices Commission to Indonesia (UNCI) - was conducted in 1947 using Military Observers. UNCI saw the first Australians (the first ever UN peacekeepers) deployed: Army Brigadier L.G.H Dyke (RAA), RAN Officer Commander H.S. Chesterman, Army Major D.L. Campbell, and RAAF Officer Squadron Leader D.T. Spence, DFC. The Australian commitment to this mission was up to 45 Military Observer Officers.
Since UNCI, the ADF has been extensively involved in both UN & multinational peacekeeping and peacemaking operations. The tempo of these missions has notably increased since the first large deployment of Engineer Troops to South West Africa in 1989. For example, over 2400 ADF personnel are now involved in the International Campaigns against Terrorism operating in the Middle East, Afghanistan and South West Asia. Australian Services personnel continue to demonstrate outstanding capabilities in these often dangerous and hostile foreign environments.
DEFINITIONS
Operations and Missions are classified as Warlike, Non-warlike or Peacetime. The definitions for these classifications are explained on theDepartment of Defence website.
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OPERATIONS LIST
Listed by the year in which Australia commenced its participation. The information provided is as correct as possible.
UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP): 1948 - 1985
UN Commission on Korea (UNCOK): 1950 - 1950
UN Command - Korea (UNC-K): 1950 - 1956
UN Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC): 1953 - present
UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) Op PALADIN: 1956 - present
UN Observer Group in Lebanon (UNOGIL): 1958
United Nations Operation in the Congo (ONUC): 1960 - 1964
United Nations Yemen Observer Mission (UNYOM): 1963 - 1964
UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP): 1964 - present
UN India-Pakistan Observation Mission (UNIPOM): 1965 - 1966
United Nations Disengagement Force (UNDOF): 1974 – present
UN Emergency Force Two (UNEF II): 1973 - 1979
Commonwealth Monitoring Force, Rhodesia (CMFR) Op AGILA: 1979 - 1980
Australian Army Contingent –
The Commonwealth Military Training Team, Uganda (CMTTU): 1982 - 1984Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) Op MAZURKA: 1982 - present
UN Iran-Iraq Military Observer Group (UNIIMOG): 1988 - 1991
UN Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG): 1989 - 1990
UN Mine Clearance Training Team Peshwar (UNMCTT) Op SALAAM: 1989 - 1993
First Maritime Interception Force (MIF 1) Ops DAMASK I & II: 1990 - 1991
Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Operations - Pacific Region: 1990 - present
Multinational Forces in Iraq - Kuwait (MNF (I-K)): 1991
International Kurdish Relief Operation Op HABITAT: 1991
UN Advanced Mission in Cambodia (UNAMIC) Op GOODWILL: 1991 - 1992
UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) Op GEMINI: 1991 - 1993
UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) Op CEDILLA: 1991 - 1994
UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) Op BLAZER: 1991 - 1998
Second Maritime Interception Force (MIF II) Op DAMASK III: 1991 - 2003
UN Protection Force in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Macedonia (UNPROFOR): 1992
First UN Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM I) Op IGUANA: 1992 - 1993
Unified Task Force in Somalia (UNITAF) Op SOLACE: 1992 - 1993
Second UN Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM II): 1993 - 1994
Cambodia Mine Action Centre (CMAC): 1993 - 1997
United Status Forces in Haiti (UNMIH): 1994
South Pacific Peacekeeping Force (SPPKF) Op LAGOON: 1994
The United Nations Assistance Mission to Rwanda (UNAMIR II) Op TAMAR: 1994 - 1995
United Nations Operation in Mozambique (ONUMOZ) Op CORACLE: 1994 - 2002
United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA): 1997
PNG & West Irian Drought Relief Op PLES DRAI: 1997
Multinational Military Deployment – KUWAIT Op POLLARD: 1998
NATO Force in Kosovo (KFOR): 1999 - present
UN Advance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) Op Faber: 1999
International Peace Monitoring Team (IPMT) – Solomon Islands Ops PLUMBOB & TREK: 2000 - 2003
The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) Op HUSKY: 2000 - 2003
The United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) Op POMELO: 2001 - 2005
Australian Contributions to the International Campaigns against Terrorism Op SLIPPER: 2001 - present
ADF contribution to US-led Multinational Force to secure and stabilise Iraq Op CATALYST: 2003 – 2009
OTHER OPERATIONS
Australian Department of Defence – Global Operations:
http://www.defence.gov.au/op
Australian Federal Police – International Deployments:
http://www.afp.gov.au/policing/international-deployment-group/deployments.aspx
Current UN peacekeeping operations:
http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/current.shtml
Past UN peacekeeping operations:
http://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/operations/past.shtml
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SUMMARY
Missions / Operations contributed by Australian Defence and Police Forces: 56 (to be revised)
Countries: 56 (to be revised)
Total Military personnel: Approximately 46,000 personnel (to be revised)Table of ADF Peacekeeping/Peacemaking Operations (with Police) since 1947 to the Present (as at 5 Jan 2010)
Total Killed in Action or Killed / Died on duty: 375 (to be revised), Including the Korean War and Military dogs. Exempted: Malayan Emergency, the Confrontation with Indonesia and the Vietnam War.
This summary does not include details of the Rifle Company, RAAF Base Butterworth Malaysia, from 1958 to the present (120 personnel on 4 month tours of duty = approx 15,840 personnel).
Figures are an approximate appreciation of the mission, time served and personnel deployed.
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SOURCES
Australian Department of Defence –http://www.defence.gov.au
Defence Honours & Awards –http://www.defence.gov.au/medals/
Australian Federal Police –http://www.afp.gov.au
Australian Honours -http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au
Australian Attorney General's Office -http://www.ag.gov.au/govgazette
Department of Veterans' Affairs -http://www.dva.gov.au
UN Peacekeeping -http://www.un.org
NATO –http://www.nato.int
PRIMARY RESEARCHERS
David Vinen, Dale Potter and Paul Copeland, OAM.
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