Medal, Post 1945, Peacekeeping, Sierra Leone, International Military Advisory Training Team, 2001-03

In March 1991, the West African country of Sierra Leone erupted into a civil war. Over the next decade, the country faced violence and unrest, including several coups. By the time the warring factions signed a peace agreement in 1999, the war had claimed 700,000 lives and displaced 2.6 million people.
In late 1999 the United Nations (UN) set up the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) to oversee the peace agreement. Between 1997 and 2000, Australia refused 10 separate UN requests to get involved in Sierra Leone.
But in 2000, Australia agreed to a 'modest contribution' to the United Kingdom's (UK) International Military Advisory and Training Team (IMATT). Over the next 2 years, Australia sent 8 Australian Defence Force (ADF) military advisers to IMATT. A further 9 Australians served on attachment to the UK armed forces.
Australia sent 8 ADF military advisers to IMATT in Sierra Leone from 2001 until 2003. A further 9 Australians served on attachment to the UK armed forces. They joined an international team that included personnel from the UK, Canada, Bermuda, Ghana, Jamaica, Nigeria, Senegal and the United States. The Australian commitment was codenamed Operation Husky. Each contingent had 2 members – a captain and a major – who acted as battalion and brigade adviser, respectively. Each deployment overlapped to allow for a handover.