Australia marks 25 years since Operation Slipper began its military role in Afghanistan

11 October 2026

On 11 October 2026 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Defence Minister Richard Marles and Veterans' Affairs Minister Matt Keogh marked 25 years since the start of Operation Slipper. Operation Slipper was Australia's first military contribution to the war in Afghanistan, launched after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States. More than 35,000 Australian Defence Force members deployed in support of Afghanistan over two decades, in missions that began with counterterrorism and later expanded to reconstruction, training and humanitarian work. The joint statement remembered the 47 ADF members listed on the Australian War Memorial's Roll of Honour. According to the Parliamentary Library, all ADF personnel had left Afghanistan by July 2021, closing Australia's longest war.