Fulfilling a childhood dream

Lance Corporal Dylan Hart will fulfil a childhood dream this Anzac Day of becoming a soldier and serving his country on operations.

The 26-year-old infantry soldier is currently deployed with Task Group Taji IV — a combined force of Australian and New Zealand Defence Force personnel on a training mission in Iraq, near Baghdad.

For the next few months, he’s based at the Taji Military Complex, serving on Operation Okra — Australia’s contribution to the international coalition effort to defeat the Daesh terrorist group.

As a Lance Corporal, he’s commanding a force protection element and working as a trainer – instructing Iraqi soldiers and policemen in a wide range of military skills from marksmanship to infantry tactics.

“Training the Iraqis is a really rewarding job,” he said.

“We’re helping them to improve their military skills so they can defeat Daesh and get their country back.

To read more of this story, grab a copy of Friday’s Guardian (April 21).