The first wave of 100 soldiers based in north Queensland is on its way to Solomon Islands in response to yesterday's fatal shooting of a Australian Federal Police Protective Service officer. Adam Dunning, 26, was killed while on a routine patrol in Honiara.At the Townsville RAAF base today, there was a feeling of calm and orderly precision as the soldiers received their last safety orders before flying to the Solomons. Corporal Quinn O'Connell says his wife and two-year-old daughter who he will leave behind for Christmas understand he has a duty to fulfil. "My wife was happy enough that I went," he said.
Corporal Luke Woodward says many of the soldiers had early Christmas dinners with their families last night. "It was hard, they're obviously disappointed that we're going but they know that we're going over there to serve our nation and do well," he said. "Fingers crossed, everything goes well and we'll be back soon."
The Australian Federal Police Commissioner has rejected suggestions the military support for Australian police working in Solomon Islands should have been boosted before yesterday's fatal sniper attack. Australian protective services officer Adam Dunning, 26, was killed while he was on a routine patrol in Honiara. Australian forces there also came under sniper fire in October but Commissioner Mick Keelty says that was the first such attack in 16 months and it was considered to be an isolated incident.
Commissioner Keelty says although around 100 Australian troops will fly to the Solomons today, the mission has had military support all along. "We haven't been left vulnerable here and of course the police here are armed, but we have removed a large number of arms from the community," he said. "When you consider the progress that was being made, this has come as a bit of a shock, but it's part and parcel of the dangers of this sort of police work, not only in this country but in other countries where we've deployed."
But Commissioner Keelty says even with the support there will still be dangers. "The leads that have been followed by the investigation team who we've spoken to this morning seem fairly concrete at this stage," he said. "But there's no gaurantee even if the people responsible for this are arrested that nothing will happen in the future. That's the dangers of policing and that's the danger that police face anywhere in the world even in our own country."