Thursday, November 27, 2008

Australian officer killed in IED attack

Lieutenant Michael Fussell was serving with the Special Operations Task Group when he was killed in action by an Improvised Explosive Device detonation while conducting a dismounted patrol in Uruzgan province, on Thursday 27 November, 2008.

Twenty-five-year-old Lieutenant Fussell was from the Sydney-based 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando).


Lieutenant Michael Fussell was born on 17 November, 1983 at Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.

Lieutenant Fussell enlisted in the Australian Army January 2002 and was appointed as an Officer Cadet at the Australian Defence Force Academy. He completed a Bachelor of Arts and was a keen sportsman, with a strong interest in rugby.

He attended Royal Military College, Duntroon in 2005, commissioning in December 2005 into the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery. On graduation he was posted to ‘A’ Field Battery, 4th Field Regiment, where he fulfilled a number of junior officer roles.

During his time at ‘A’ Field Battery he qualified as a paratrooper. He also deployed to East Timor on Operation Astute in 2006 and 2007.

Lieutenant Fussell was posted to 4 RAR (Commando) in January 2008 as a Joint Offensive Support Team Commander. He was a Platoon Commander for the Advance Infantry Course at Singleton and completed the Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTAC) course.

Lieutenant Fussell’s military decorations include the Australian Active Service Medal with clasp International Campaign Against Terrorism (ICAT), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Australian Service Medal clasp, Timor-Leste and the Australian Defence Medal. 

Michael leaves behind two loving parents, his younger brother Daniel and two younger foster sisters Nikki and Nyah. His brother Daniel is a Lieutenant with 1st Field Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery (RAA) in Brisbane.

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