The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Robert Cooper served in Afghanistan 2010-2011. He was deployed as an ASLAV gunner with 2 Cavalry Regiment as part of MTF-2 (Mentoring Task Force – Rotation 2), based in Uruzgan Province.
While on deployment, Cooper was able to sketch and write in his journal, and he also recorded footage of troop movements and the local Afghan people. Cooper was discharged in early 2011. Once home, he produced a sequenced set of 346 works on paper, referring back to the notes and footage he made in Afghanistan so that he could tell the story of his deployment with absolute accuracy. Cooper wanted to show people exactly what he had witnessed and experienced at war.
Text from book:
OCT 2010
FOB MIRWAIS: - I AM IN THE CHOW DOWN ROOM &
I AM COOKING UP SOME CHEESE TOAST.... WHEN
CPL SMITH SLAMS OPEN THE DOOR & SHOUTS
"TALIBAN ON THE NEAR FEATURE (HILL)
I RELUCTANTLY FOLLOW HIM O YOUR TENT TO GRAB BODY ARMOUS & WEBBING & THEN HEAD FOR
OUR ASLAV'S..... A 50 CALIBRE MACHINE GUN
OPENS UP & I STILL REMEMBER THINKING HOW
PRETTY THE TRACER LOOKED STREAMING UP INTO
the SKY..... WHEN I GOT TO WHERE V42a SHOULD
HAVE BEEN — IT WAS GONE — SHIT
SMITHY SHOUTED TO ME TO HOP INTO THE BACK
OF V42C..... I DID
V42C DROVE ONLY A SHORT DISTANCE &
STOPPED.
I SAT IN DARKNESS
I HEARD NO WEAPON FIRE
BUT I COULD STILL SMELL MY CHEESE
TOAST ON MY FINGERS....
Robert Cooper served in Afghanistan 2010-2011. He was deployed as an ASLAV gunner with 2 Cavalry Regiment as part of MTF-2 (Mentoring Task Force – Rotation 2), based in Uruzgan Province. While on de
Robert Cooper served in Afghanistan 2010-2011. He was deployed as an ASLAV gunner with 2 Cavalry Regiment as part of MTF-2 (Mentoring Task Force – Rotation 2), based in Uruzgan Province. While on de
Robert Cooper served in Afghanistan 2010-2011. He was deployed as an ASLAV gunner with 2 Cavalry Regiment as part of MTF-2 (Mentoring Task Force – Rotation 2), based in Uruzgan Province. While on de
Robert Cooper served in Afghanistan 2010-2011. He was deployed as an ASLAV gunner with 2 Cavalry Regiment as part of MTF-2 (Mentoring Task Force – Rotation 2), based in Uruzgan Province. While on de
Robert Cooper served in Afghanistan 2010-2011. He was deployed as an ASLAV gunner with 2 Cavalry Regiment as part of MTF-2 (Mentoring Task Force – Rotation 2), based in Uruzgan Province. While on de
Robert Cooper served in Afghanistan 2010-2011. He was deployed as an ASLAV gunner with 2 Cavalry Regiment as part of MTF-2 (Mentoring Task Force – Rotation 2), based in Uruzgan Province. While on de