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Commander Joint Task Force 633 Air Vice-Marshal Joe Iervasi has officially handed over command of Australian Defence Force operations in the Middle East region to Rear Admiral Mark Hill.
The transfer of authority ceremony took place just over a week ago at Australia’s main operating base in the Middle East, and AVM Iervasi said he had observed an evolution in Australian operations across the Middle East.
“Both the train, advise, assist mission in Afghanistan and the build partner capacity operation in Iraq are achieving milestones,” AVM Iervasi said.
“We have seen, in both Afghanistan and Iraq, their military no longer just receiving training but taking the lead in training themselves.”
AVM Iervasi said the rest of the world had witnessed what Australia brought to the region.
“Australia contributes here in meaningful ways and, more importantly, we come here without vested interests and with the genuine intent of making the situation better,” he said.
AVM Iervasi said Australia would always have an element of interest in the Middle East region, a connection that goes back more than a century.
“We have always been here; our national interests for a global rules-based order suggests that it is in our interest to be here in the Middle East,” he said.
“It is important that we have trade stability in the Gulf and the Red Sea.”
AVM Iervasi begins his new role as Air Commander Australia on Friday, 12 July.
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