Wagga’s defence community came together on Sunday afternoon to commemorate the Kapooka Tragedy, a training accident that left 26 young soldiers dead.
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On May 21, 1945, trainee engineers and training staff were conducting a routine exercise when a massive explosion destroyed the dugout they were in.
It was the biggest training disaster in Australia’s military history.
In his address to those who gathered to pay their respects, Colonel Mick Garraway AM of the Army Recruit Training Centre said the sacrifice of the 26 men who lost their lives that day was no lesser than those who died fighting in conflicts overseas.
"The devastating loss felt by families and loved ones of those 26 men is not less than the lost felt by families of young sailors, soldiers, and air crew lost on foreign battlefields,” Colonel Garraway said.
"The shock felt by their mates and by their families from what should have been a normal day of training, when they should have completed this explosive practice and returned to camp for dinner, is difficult for most of us to imagine.”
Colonel Garraway said it was not just the friends and families of those who died who suffered a terrible loss; the tragedy was also felt by the wider Wagga community.
"Being a garrison town, these young men, and those who trained here before and after them, were involved in social and sporting events across the town," he said.
"So in addition to the terrible tragedy for the families and the terrible loss for army, it was also a significant loss for the community of Wagga, as well."
Finally, Colonel Garraway called on everyone in attendance to use the tragedy to reflect on what it means to look out for your colleagues and mates.
"For those of us in uniform, it is important that we remind ourselves of the risks inherit in our training,” Colonel Garraway said.
"Remember that supervision isn't micromanagement – checking on your mates, checking on your subordinates, checking on your boss is teamwork."
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