Mentioning the war: why Afghanistan and Australia's other conflicts must be discussed'

Recently, legitimate concerns about the media coverage of Australias military involvement in the war in Afghanistan have been raised. It is true that much more that can and should be said about the armys past, present and future activities has so far been ignored. Explicitly excluded from the government-commissioned histories of Australia in war is any reference to Australias involvement in East Timor, Iraq or Afghanistan. In an age of unprecedented openness and interconnectivity, this is a travesty that must be rectified. One attempt has been made to explain what the Australian Army has been doing in Afghanistan and elsewhere in operations in the post-Vietnam War years: how it has done it, why it has done so and what it might mean for the army and the defence force of today and tomorrow.