About 300 Australian troops bound for a training mission in Iraq have been officially farewelled by the prime minister, Tony Abbott, from Gallipoli barracks in Brisbane.
Members of task group Taji will have a non-combat role, training the Iraqi army as part of the fight against extremist groups such as Islamic State (Isis).
Its mission is for two years, but the government will review its progress after 12 months, in what the army chief, Lieutenant General David Morrison, warns is a “complex and dangerous environment”.
“You are going to train and not to fight, but you are a strong, a well-equipped, a highly professional and a committed force, and I know that you will give a very good account of yourself,” Abbott said.
“You are going abroad to a faraway country, to uphold our interests and our values, to keep us safe. You go abroad to support us.”
Morrison, said the group was well prepared for the challenges that lay ahead.
“Although Australian personnel will deploy to the building partner capacity mission in a non-combat role, they are fully aware that Iraq is a complex and dangerous environment in which to operate,” he said.
“Australian soldiers are among the finest in the world. We wish them all the best as they begin their mission and, importantly, we wish them a safe return to their families and friends.”
The opposition leader, Bill Shorten, praised the troops’ professionalism and dedication, which he labelled “second to none”.
“You know that this will be a complex, difficult mission – building the capacity of the Iraqi security forces to confront and defeat a fanatical, dangerous enemy,” Shorten said. “You know the risks, you know the danger, you know the toll that service takes.”
The 300 Australian personnel will join 143 from New Zealand, prompting leaders to draw parallels with the 1915 Anzac landing at Gallipoli.
“We respect and honour our Kiwi cousins. I know they will do an outstanding job along with us,” Abbott said.
Australia already has 170 special forces soldiers assisting the Iraqi military and another 400 air force members in the region conducting air strikes.
