Australia suffers first fatality in Iraq

[ECH1969]

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) suffered its first fatality in Iraq when a soldier died of a gunshot wound in a non-combat related incident, the Defence Department said.

"The soldier received a single gunshot wound on the afternoon of Friday 21 April," the department said in a statement. "The soldier was taken to a United States military hospital where he later died."

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/114126.asp

[ECH1969]

1. Solider 'shot himself by accident'

DEFENCE Minister Brendan Nelson said today the Australian soldier killed in Iraq had accidentally shot himself while maintaining his gun.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,18892290-1702,00.html

[alcibiades_mystery]

2. Happens all the time

Seriously, it does. This is why training in gun safety is so important.

[951-Riverside]

3. Don't point loaded gun at head while cleaning trigger

...check :D

[Charlie Brown]

4. Australian Soldier killed in Baghdad

Yet another reminder of how many countries continue to suffer from the war.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/21/iraq.australian/index.html

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- An Australian soldier was shot and killed in a "tragic accident" inside Baghdad's green zone, the army chief said Saturday.

He was the second soldier with Australian citizenship to die in Iraq since the U.S.-led war began in 2003, but was the Australian military's first casualty.

The soldier, whose identity was not immediately released, was killed Friday afternoon in a shooting accident, Australian army chief Lt. Gen. Peter Leahy told reporters in Canberra.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. Behold the mighty coalition!

US killed: 2380
Australians killed: 2

:eyes: