【綜合報道】2026年10月11日，澳大利亞退伍軍人、軍人家屬及各界代表齊聚堪培拉的澳大利亞戰爭紀念館（Australian War Memorial），出席全國紀念儀式，紀念澳大利亞參與阿富汗軍事行動25周年。這是澳大利亞歷時最長的海外軍事行動。根據澳大利亞戰爭紀念館資料，47名澳大利亞國防軍人員因在阿富汗服役而喪生，另有263人受傷。同日，悉尼等地也舉行了紀念活動。
政要齊聚，緬懷陣亡將士
總理阿爾巴尼斯（Anthony Albanese）、反對黨領袖安格斯·泰勒（Angus Taylor），以及前總理約翰·霍華德（John Howard）、托尼·阿博特（Tony Abbott）和斯科特·莫里森（Scott Morrison）出席了堪培拉的紀念儀式。2001年，正是在霍華德擔任總理期間，澳大利亞決定參與阿富汗軍事行動。
Today is the 25th anniversary of the start of Operation Slipper – the Australian Defence Force』s first declared mission in Afghanistan in what would be our longest war.
In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 – in America』s darkest hour – Australia stood by our ally and dear friend. On 14 September, showing moral clarity and leadership, John Howard invoked ANZUS. And soon after, Australia joined a multinational mission to take the fight to al-Qa』ida.
For twenty years, under Operation Slipper and Operation Highroad, Australian warfighters helped to deny the terrorists a safe haven, to foil al-Qa』ida, to bring its leadership to justice, and to prevent further terrorist attacks from being carried out around the world and on our soil. It was right for our nation to join the war on terror.
More than 35,000 men and women of the Australian Defence Force bravely served in Afghanistan. Many still bear the wounds of their service, seen and unseen. Tragically, 47 Australians were killed.
On this anniversary, my thoughts and deep gratitude are with all those who served in Afghanistan, and especially with the families of those Australians who made the ultimate sacrifice. Your service made a difference. Your service made our nation and the world safer.
We thank all our veterans of Afghanistan for their service, suffering and sacrifice. We owe them a debt that can never be repaid, but our nation will never forget and always honour what they achieved. I was able to honour our Afghanistan warfighters today at a commemorative service at the Australian War Memorial. And I also reflected on the important role our intelligence officers and diplomatic corps played in the war.
Today is also a significant day for many Afghans who risked their lives to work with the Australians Defence Force and are now committed fellow Australians.
Five years after the war in Afghanistan, Islamist extremism remains a civilisational threat. It has evolved since 9/11, taken many forms, and been called many things. But it is still Islamist extremism. And we must continue to fight it with resolve – both at home and around the world with our allies and partners. And fight it we will, because we love life more than the terrorists love death.
My commitment to Australians is to keep out and root out Islamist extremism. We will protect our way of life. We remain committed to thwarting terrorism, inspired by the spirit and service of our veterans of Afghanistan.
— Angus Taylor MP (@AngusTaylorMP) October 11, 2026
阿爾巴尼斯在致辭中回顧了澳大利亞參戰的背景，表示當年澳方認為，九一一恐怖襲擊威脅的不僅是美國，也包括澳大利亞珍視的自由與生活方式。他向在阿富汗服役的軍人、遇難者及其家屬致敬，並肯定軍人的勇氣、品格和戰友情誼。
家屬與老兵的傷痛與反思
2012年，23歲的列兵羅伯特·波特（Robert Poate）在阿富汗遭一名阿富汗軍人槍擊身亡。他的母親珍妮·波特（Jenny Poate）在紀念儀式上談及軍人家屬等待親人平安歸來的心情。對陣亡軍人的家庭而言，戰爭造成的失去與悲痛至今仍難以消散。
對許多曾赴阿富汗服役的軍人而言，這場戰爭留下了複雜的記憶。2021年喀布爾陷落、塔利班重新掌權，也讓一些退伍軍人重新思考當年的犧牲及任務的意義。但戰爭的最終政治結局，並不能概括所有軍人的個人經歷和付出。
2012年曾被派往塔林科特（Tarin Kowt）地區服役的退伍軍人馬修·貝爾（Mathew Bell）認為，澳軍在當地的行動曾為部分居民帶來安全和自由，軍人所作的努力不應完全由戰爭最後的結局來衡量。
爭議人物出席，司法案件仍待審理
維多利亞十字勳章（Victoria Cross）獲得者、前特種空勤團（SASR）軍人本·羅伯茨-史密斯（Ben Roberts-Smith）也出席了紀念儀式。今年4月，他因涉嫌在阿富汗服役期間犯下戰爭罪而被捕，面臨五項戰爭罪謀殺指控，目前獲准保釋，並經法院許可前往堪培拉參加活動。他否認相關指控，案件仍待司法審理。
Ben Roberts-Smith joins 600 veterans as Albanese marks Australia』s 25 years in Afghanistan
https://t.co/ppP4oglEpE
— The Age (@theage) October 11, 2026
20年軍事行動落幕，塔利班重新掌權引發反思
澳大利亞於2001年10月11日啟動「斯利珀行動」（Operation Slipper），參與阿富汗及周邊地區軍事行動。該行動持續至2014年，隨後澳軍又通過2015年至2021年的「高路行動」（Operation Highroad）等任務繼續參與阿富汗事務。根據官方資料，在約20年間，超過3.5萬名澳大利亞人員曾在阿富汗或中東行動區域承擔軍事及支援任務。
2021年6月，澳大利亞完成從阿富汗的軍事撤離。同年8月，塔利班重新控制喀布爾並掌握政權。戰爭的結束及其後續局勢，使澳大利亞社會持續討論這場長期軍事行動的成果、代價，以及對退伍軍人和陣亡者家屬應承擔的責任。
