Slush Pile: Australia's 1st Iraq fatality

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Australia's 1st Iraq fatality

2006 Reader Submission
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http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200604/s1621927.htm http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/dead-digger-was-elite-sniper/2006/04/23/1145730796376.html

Australia's first combat fatality in Iraq - a soldier shoots himself in the head (dead) while cleaning his own gun.

Dead digger was elite sniper

Private Jacob (Jake) Bruce Kovco. Photo: ADF

Private Jacob (Jake) Bruce Kovco was one of Australia's most highly trained and respected snipers.

The 25-year-old father of two was today named as Australia's first fatal casualty in the Iraq conflict - dying from an accidental shot to the head while cleaning a 9mm Browning automatic pistol on Friday afternoon.

He died in a US Army combat surgical hospital where he was surrounded by his mates, who draped his body in an Australian flag and with a paratrooper's beret on his chest as they said the Lord's Prayer.

Private Kovco, who is survived by wife Shelley and two children, Tyrie and Alana, was born in Melbourne and grew up in Victoria.

He enlisted in the Australian Regular Army in March 2002 - fulfilling a life-long ambition. After successfully completing the recruit training course, he was selected for Infantry Corps and posted to the School of Infantry, Singleton, in May 2002.

After completing infantry basic training he was selected for service in the elite 3rd Battalion of the Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR), Australia's only parachute infantry battalion.

At 3RAR he served in a range of positions as a rifleman and heavy weapons operator, but after intensive specialist training he became a sniper.

Last month, he was deployed to Iraq as a member of the 110-strong, Baghdad-based security detachment protecting Australian officials - a much sought-after role in the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

The ADF said today that during his time in Baghdad, Private Kovco showed a high level of devotion to duty and professionalism.

"He was a valued member of his team and is sorely missed, not only for his skills and professionalism, but also as a mate and comrade in arms," the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said in a statement.

Private Kovco's body is expected to be returned to Australia, accompanied by his platoon sergeant, over the next few days.

Army chief Lieutenant General Peter Leahy has launched an inquiry into the death, which will also be investigated by a coroner.

Army officials are also expected to draft recommendations on how to prevent such accidents occurring.

While not commenting directly on the inquiries, Defence Minister Brendan Nelson said today he understood there were two other soldiers in the room at the time of the shot.

"They didn't see the firearm go off but ... there's every indication that it was nothing more than a tragic accident," Dr Nelson said.

"There's no evidence there was anything other than the accidental firing of the weapon that he was handling."

Private Kovco was the first Australian soldier to die in Iraq, although other Australians have been injured in insurgent bombing attacks and in vehicle accidents.

In January last year Flight Lieutenant Paul Pardoel, a RAAF-trained C-130 navigator on contract to Britain's RAF, died when his aircraft was shot down north of Baghdad.

In March 2003, ABC cameraman Paul Moran was killed in a suicide car bombing in northern Iraq.

High-level talks to set course for Aussie troops

Defence Minister Brendan Nelson says the way forward for Australian troops in Iraq and Afghanistan will be high on the agenda for talks with senior US and British officials this week.

The talks come as Iraq moves towards establishing a government under its newly-elected premier Jawad al-Maliki.

Prime Minister John Howard welcomed the news of al-Maliki's election yesterday and the likely formation of the first democratically-elected government in the country since Saddam Hussein's regime was ousted in 2003.

The breakthrough in Baghdad has been overshadowed, however, by the accidental death in Iraq of Private Kovco, who is Australia's first fatal casualty of its involvement in the Iraq conflict.

Dr Nelson said he had spoken to Private Kovco's widow and had invited her to help draft the terms of reference for a military inquiry into the circumstances of her husband's death.

"I've discussed this with the head of the army, General Peter Leahy, who agrees," he said.

Dr Nelson said whatever happens now, Australia's 450-member al-Muthanna Task Group will still be rotated next month.

Australia has about 900 personnel in Iraq, including the al-Muthanna group protecting a Japanese humanitarian mission in the south of Iraq and about 100 troops in Baghdad providing security to embassy staff.

Dr Nelson said his forthcoming trip to the US and the UK would take in meetings with US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"I also hope to be meeting General John Abizaid, who heads the US command in Iraq, in Florida," he said.

"I'll be meeting John Reid, the British Defence Minister, and we'll be talking about the way ahead both in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Dr Nelson said Australia remained committed to continuing to protect Japanese engineers working in al-Muthanna until they left, although a departure date had not been finalised.

"We still haven't been informed by the Japanese what their intentions are," he said.

"We respect that so we've decided to make a rotation in al-Muthanna toward the end of May."

The troops would be redeployed to tasks in line with requests from the Iraqi government, although they would remain under Australian command within a multinational group.

Mr Howard today restated his intention that Australia would continue to assist in Iraq's security until the task could be effectively discharged by the Iraqis themselves.

Downer: no early homecoming

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer earlier said it will still be "quite some time" before the Australian troops are brought home.

Mr Downer expressed his sympathies to the family of the soldier who died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while cleaning his weapon.

Describing it as a tragic accident, he said Australian troops would remain in Iraq until local security forces were able to take control of terrorist groups and protect the Iraqi population.

"It's still pretty tough in Iraq, the terrorists are very determined to try to destroy this new emerging democracy," Mr Downer told the Seven Network.

"There is still more work to be done there but politically I think they are at least heading in the right direction and that will make it easier for the whole of the country to get behind a new democratic government and to try to fight off the terrorists."

Mr Downer said he did not know just how long international forces would have to remain in the country but said a departure "isn't imminent".

"We don't make our presence there time-based, we make it conditions-based," he said.

"That is particularly once the Iraqi security forces are able to hold the security situation, protect the great masses of people of Iraqi themselves, there won't be any need for us or more importantly really the Americans or the British to be there.

"But obviously that is going to take quite some time."

Submitted on 04/23/2006

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: ABC Australia & SMH 23/04/06,

>> Moderator Scores <<

Sheryl said:
Definitely Toss: Not Amusing
Thanks for the story. I'm sorry, I just can't see how it's funny.

James said:
Definitely Toss: Not Amusing
I don't find this amusing at all. The worst case scenario is that he committed suicide, but that is highly unlikely. He was probably cleaning the weapon because of the jammed cartridge which, unfortunately, went off. This sort of thing can happen regardless of the level of competence, and this fellow was apparently no slacker. A VERY tragic story...

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2006 Slush Pile

Australia's 1st Iraq fatality

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2006 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

>> The Darwin Awards, by Wendy Northcutt <<
Link to Fight Evil.