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PODCAST: Remembering the fall of Kabul, with Fred Smith

Joint-capabilities
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By: Robyn Tongol
PODCAST: Remembering the fall of Kabul, with Fred Smith

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) diplomat and folk singer Fred Smith joins host Liam Garman to reflect on Australia’s 20-year commitment to Afghanistan and last year’s humanitarian mission at Kabul International Airport.

In this episode of the Defence Connect Podcast, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) diplomat and folk singer Fred Smith joins host Liam Garman to reflect on Australia’s 20-year commitment to Afghanistan and last year’s humanitarian mission at Kabul International Airport.

  

  • The pair begin the podcast discussing Smith’s background, and how he came to use music as a tool to bring communities together as a diplomat in DFAT.
  • The podcast continues by reflecting on Smith’s time as the first Australian civilian to be posted to Uruzgan province in Afghanistan, and his subsequent Dust of Uruzgan album which tells the story of Australian service in the region.
  • Smith also talks about his current cross-country tour “Sparrows of Kabul”, honouring the first anniversary of the fall of Kabul and Australia’s commitment to Afghanistan.
  • The pair then discuss his upcoming Townsville show along with the 1RAR band, commemorating the Battalion’s commitment to Afghanistan over the last 20 years.

To read more about Smith’s tour, click here.

 

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Listen to previous episodes of the Defence Connect podcast:

Episode 11: SPOTLIGHT: Defence electronics supply chains, counterfeit components and shortages
Episode 10: PODCAST: AUKUS, China and Australia’s defence industrial future, with former prime minister Scott Morrison
Episode 9: CONTESTED GROUND: When AI goes rogue – the emerging threat Australia isn’t ready for
Episode 8: PODCAST: Frontier AI, cyber warfare, and defending Australia’s military networks, with Wendi Whitmore and Tom Scully
Episode 7: PODCAST: Australia’s 2026 Intergenerational Report and national security implications, with Phillip Tarrant and Robert Dougherty
Episode 6: CONTESTED GROUND: AUKUS, deterrence, and the deepening Australia–UK strategic partnership
Episode 5: SPOTLIGHT: Unlocking Australia’s Defence estate through divestment, with Stantec Australia
Episode 4: CONTESTED GROUND: Is Australia ready to secure its place in an increasingly contested space domain?
Episode 3: THE PROGRESS REPORT: Building the future – Viviene Beins on aerospace engineering, women, and Australia’s defence industry
Episode 2: PODCAST: Australian defence industry faces a changing strategic landscape, with Phillip Tarrant and Robert Dougherty