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:
15 DEC 2010 COMBAT TEAM DELTA ARE MASSED
the FEATURE, THE AFGHAN NATIONAL ARMY ARE
to CONDUCT A SEARCH of the BALUCHI VALLEY —
MATERIALS & WEAPON CACHES.
BUT IN THE EARLY LIGHT... I SEE
FIGHTING. AGE MALES APPEAR IN the FAR SIDE
of the RUDD (RIVER)
VEHICLES COME OUT of the MORNING MIST AND
LOAD UP THEIR WAITING FELLOW COUNTRYMEN
THE VEHICLES THEN MOVE off — DRIVING ALONG
the RIVER BED AND AVOID THE ROADS....
ALL the FIGHTING AGE MALES HAVE JUST
DISAPPEARED DOWN THE VALLEY TOWARDS T.K.
BEFORE OUR COMBINED FORCES HAVE EVEN
STEPPED OFF.....
I GOT THE FEELING
WE WERE JUST "THUMBED off"
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