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US Marines honour our ADF
Members of Australia’s Navy, Army and Air Force have been awarded a rare honour by the US Marine Corps - a Meritorious Unit Commendation.
One hundred and seven (107) Australian Defence Force members who were part of operations to recover a US Marine Corps aircraft that crashed and sank off the north Queensland coast late last year received the award from the head of the US Marine Corps in the Pacific,
Lieutenant General David Berger, during his visit to the Royal Australian Navy amphibious ship aboard HMAS Adelaide.
The commendation praises the individual Australians’ “unrelenting perseverance and unfailing devotion to duty”. Our Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, said their actions are in the finest traditions of the ADF.
The ADF was called into action on 6 August 2017 when the MV-22 Osprey crashed into the Coral Sea near Rockhampton. The aircraft was carrying 26 American service members and, tragically, one pilot and two other Marines were killed in the incident.
Over the following fortnight, the Australians worked with US Marines and the US Navy to locate the aircraft and support the recovery operation.
A total of 14 dives were conducted on the Osprey by an Australian Navy Dive team in sometimes difficult conditions.
The commendation has been presented to members of Maritime Operations, Australian Clearance Diving Team One, Australian Mine Warfare Team Sixteen (HMAS Waterhen in Sydney), Navy Hydrographic Ship crew Blue embarked in HMAS Melville (based at HMAS Cairns), and to members of the Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group.
