26:
212:, Australian combat forces began withdrawing from Iraq on 1 June 2008. and the Overwatch Battle Group (West) and Australian Army Training Team formally ceased combat operations on the 2 June 2008. No Australian military personnel were killed in the course of the deployment, during which the Australian contingent helped train 33,000 Iraqi soldiers. Approximately 200 Australian personnel remained in Iraq on logistical and air surveillance duties after its withdrawal.
221:
185:(MSRs) to counter the indirect fire and improvised explosive device threat, training and mentoring of the Iraqi Army and Police, support to strike operations undertaken by United States Special Forces, and construction and re-construction work. The Battle Group's training team was responsible for providing basic training to
181:. Whilst it was never called upon to act in this role, the Battle Group did conduct combat and security operations within the cities of An Nasiriyah and As Samawah, the provincial capitals of Dhi Qar and Al Muthana respectively, extensive patrolling within rural areas and on
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Upon its formation
Overwatch Battle Group (West) consisted of units which were previously assigned to the third, and final, rotation of the
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During the four rotations of the deployment, the battle group took part in a number of engagements, including the
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458:
Noonan, Gerard, Skehan, Craig and
Desmond O'Grady, "Australian Troops Close Shave in Iraq Firefight",
158:, following the handover of Camp Smitty to Iraqi Forces in July 2006. The Battle Group formed part of
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were deployed in late 2006 to increase the size of the force to over 500 soldiers supported by 40
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and 19 Bushmasters. Total
Australian strength in southern Iraq rose to over 500 personnel.
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142:, consisting of units previously assigned to the third, and final, rotation of the
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A Squadron, 2nd/14th Light Horse
Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
196:, which occurred on 26 September 2006 and involved OBG(W) 1, and the
602:"AMTG3 preparations complete: Next rotation to Al Muthanna Province"
173:
Overwatch Battle Group (West)'s main role was to provide support to
717:(Second ed.). Crows Nest, New South Wales: Allen & Unwin.
219:
167:
134:. The Battle Group was established in July 2006 and was based at
336:: November 2007 – June 2008 (Lieutenant Colonel Chris Websdane)
489:(58). Brisbane Market: Fullbore Magazines: 42–46. Winter 2007.
200:, involving OBG(W) 2 over the period 23–24 April 2007. As the
663:"Operations in Iraq: Details of British and Coalition forces"
388:. Australian Government, Department of Defence. 28 July 2006
341:
2nd/14th Light Horse
Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
243:
2nd/14th Light Horse
Regiment (Queensland Mounted Infantry)
741:
Anzac Cove to
Afghanistan: The History of the 3rd Brigade
177:
in a crisis if requested by the Iraqi
Government and the
224:
An
Australian cavalry scout in Iraq during October 2007
715:
Duty First: A History of the Royal
Australian Regiment
684:. No. 1166. Department of Defence. Archived from
232:: June – December 2006 (Lieutenant Colonel Mick Mahy)
471:
Wright, Lincoln. "Diggers Kill Five in Iraq Battle",
30:
Overwatch Battle Group (West) personnel in April 2007
785:
Military units and formations disestablished in 2008
770:
Military units and formations of the Australian Army
322:
C Company, 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
89:
79:
71:
63:
53:
43:
35:
18:
283:B Squadron/Combat Team Eagle, 2nd Cavalry Regiment
189:personnel at the Basic Training Centre in Tallil.
780:Military units and formations established in 2006
270:: December 2006 – June 2007 (Lieutenant Colonel
743:. Sydney, New South Wales: Big Sky Publishing.
547:. Australian Government, Department of Defence
541:"Cessation of ADF Operations in Southern Iraq"
319:2 Troop, B Squadron, 3rd/4th Cavalry Regiment.
485:"Combat Ops Iraq: OP CATALYST JTF-633 IRAQ".
8:
487:Australian and New Zealand Defender Magazine
288:5th/7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
128:represented Australia's largest contribution
635:
633:
631:
445:
443:
418:"Additional Troops for Operation Overwatch"
300:: May – December 2007 (Lieutenant Colonel
775:Ad hoc units and formations of Australia
545:Defence news: 2 June – 8 June 2008
350:6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
309:5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
261:6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
255:2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
249:2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
237:2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
678:"Farewell for troops deploying to Iraq"
424:. Australian Government. Archived from
373:
567:"Topic Galleries - chicagotribune.com"
509:"Australia withdraws troops from Iraq"
382:"Australian Troops Depart Camp Smitty"
164:Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles
162:. An additional 38 personnel and four
15:
7:
600:Hetherington, Andrew (18 May 2006).
416:Nelson, Brendan (4 September 2006).
386:Media Release: Department of Defence
160:Multi-National Division (South-East)
795:Dhi Qar Governorate in the Iraq War
422:Media Release: Minister for Defence
584:" Australia ends Iraq combat role"
14:
146:. It was withdrawn in June 2008.
24:
676:Brooke, Michael (17 May 2007).
357:Combat Service Support Element
328:Combat Service Support Element
1:
682:Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper
608:. Vol. 11, no. 43.
606:Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper
517:. 1 June 2008. Archived from
286:D Company/Combat Team Tiger,
117:Overwatch Battle Group (West)
19:Overwatch Battle Group (West)
665:. Ministry of Defence (UK).
406:Horner (2008), pp. 335–336.
292:Combat Service Support Team
179:Multi-National Force – Iraq
132:Multinational force in Iraq
811:
790:Australia in the Iraq War
460:The Sydney Morning Herald
23:
641:"Battle Group Rotations"
198:Battle of Route Bismarck
104:Battle of Route Bismarck
739:Wahlert, Glenn (2015).
449:Horner (2008), p. 336.
354:Combat Support Element
325:Combat Support Element
225:
194:Battle of Al Rumaythah
156:Al Muthanna Task Group
144:Al Muthanna Task Group
99:Battle of Al Rumaythah
610:Department of Defence
223:
175:Iraqi Security Forces
643:. Nautilus Institute
521:on 21 September 2020
462:, 29 September 2006.
315:2nd Cavalry Regiment
279:2nd Cavalry Regiment
140:Dhi Qar Governorate
616:on 5 February 2012
226:
183:Main Supply Routes
75:Over 500 personnel
724:978-1-74175-374-5
475:, 8 October 2006.
253:Support Company,
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733:Further reading
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121:Australian Army
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84:Tallil Air Base
58:Australian Army
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750:9781925275551
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711:Horner, David
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210:2007 election
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704:Bibliography
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690:. Retrieved
686:the original
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645:. Retrieved
618:. Retrieved
614:the original
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549:. Retrieved
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523:. Retrieved
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430:. Retrieved
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390:. Retrieved
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313:A Squadron,
302:Jake Ellwood
297:
272:Tony Rawlins
267:
241:A Squadron,
229:
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153:
116:
115:
80:Headquarters
348:A Company,
247:A Company,
202:Labor Party
124:battlegroup
90:Engagements
67:Battlegroup
764:Categories
364:References
206:Kevin Rudd
187:Iraqi Army
495:1322-039X
369:Citations
216:Rotations
48:Australia
39:2006–2008
588:BBC News
334:OBG(W)-4
298:OBG(W)-3
268:OBG(W)-2
230:OBG(W)-1
94:Iraq War
692:9 March
647:9 March
620:9 March
551:9 March
514:Reuters
432:9 March
392:9 March
204:led by
150:History
130:to the
119:was an
44:Country
747:
721:
525:1 June
493:
168:ASLAVs
54:Branch
36:Active
126:that
745:ISBN
719:ISBN
694:2014
649:2014
622:2014
553:2014
527:2008
491:ISSN
434:2014
394:2014
339:HQ,
307:HQ,
277:HQ,
235:HQ,
72:Size
64:Type
138:in
766::
680:.
630:^
604:.
586:,
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511:.
442:^
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304:)
274:)
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396:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.