Jones and Langley

The Australians lost several people in the last quarter, which for them is significant because they've only got about 1,550 military personnel in Afghanistan -- 90% of whom are in Uruzgan province. One of those recently killed was a Sergeant Todd Langley (pictured above), a special force soldier on his fifth deployment. (The Army Times recently ran an article about the Australian SAS.)

The Australians are a bit more used to losses from their special forces because of their job, but it seems the public, and particularly the guys I work with in the Force Support Unit, were more affected by the death of Lance Corporal Andrew Jones; he served as a cook in an outlying patrol base and wore the same patch.

Jones was killed on May 30 by a renegade Afghan National Army soldier while they stood guard together. His assailant, codenamed "Morning Star," was later killed by U.S. special forces shortly after I got back to Tarin Kowt.

Along with a few other deaths from a particularly bad two week period, his story ran in the June 9th issue of the Australia Army newspaper, which describes how he was remembered. The comments from his family and girlfriend are just heart rending. I couldn't even read the newspaper stories without tearing up.
The family was particularly struck that Prime Minister Julia Gillard and a host of other dignitaries attended his funeral.

I wasn't immediately affected by Jones' death because I was on leave at the time, but I became involved in his remembrance through a strange set of circumstances.

As I understand the story, LCpl Jones had requested some things of his mother for the base (spices and whatnot) that due to his ... inability to receive them, had been returned. Jones' mother nevertheless still wanted his mates at the base to benefit from the items he'd requested on their behalf, so she sent the box with a note to the battalion commander in Dubai. The commander, in turn, sent it to us.

And since I was traveling to that very same base to inspect a mission there, it fell to me to personally make the delivery.

So that's what I did. I carried the package in my truck secured behind the mounted radio. When we arrived, I asked around for "the caterer," as they the chief cook, and explained the situation. I then left the box with him and went about the rest of the unloading.

Those who know my family will understand why I feel a link with both these men, and why I would feel their losses a bit keener than most. I didn't know LCpl Jones, and I've never met his mother, but I hope she can find a measure of solace knowing that, like her son, her gift to the base has made it to its final destination.