Service, sacrifice and the bonds that endure

The legacy of service 

For Rob Layton, the memories of Afghanistan are complex. There is fear and loss, but also pride, purpose and the unbreakable bonds formed by those who have depended on each other every day. 

Rob joined the Australian Army as an infantry soldier in 2006 and completed two tours of Afghanistan before being medically discharged in 2014. His first deployment in 2010 was with 6 RAR as part of Mentoring Task Force One, later returning with 3 RAR as part of Mentoring Task Force Five. 

On 11 October 2026, Rob and more than 35,000 Australians who served in Afghanistan and the Middle East Area of Operations in relation to Afghanistan will be recognised as part of AFGHANISTAN25. This national commemoration marks 25 years since Australian Defence Force personnel first deployed to Afghanistan, beginning two decades of Australian involvement. 

10 Platoon returning from patrol in Mirabad Valley

Mateship in action 

Rob remembers arriving in Afghanistan as a young infantry soldier who had spent years preparing for deployment. Nothing, however, could fully prepare him for stepping out on patrol for the first time in an unfamiliar and dangerous environment. 

“You're afraid because every step you take could be your last,” he says. “But you have to just work through it and rely on your mates.” 

“Camaraderie is everything,” he remembers. “In Afghanistan, it’s you and your team. You and your mates are the ones that look after each other every day. 

“You have to lean on them, and they lean on you. You have to make sure that you’re on the ball all the time and that you’re there for them.” 

During his first deployment, Rob served as a driver with Delta Company – transporting troops, supporting patrols, engaging with local communities and taking part in broader combat team tasks. 

His second deployment placed him in a similar but more senior role as a Bushmaster Crew Commander. His team were responsible for locating improvised explosive devices (IED), with risks for both vehicle crews and the engineers on foot. 

Regardless of the risks involved, Rob says the defining feature of those deployments was the camaraderie shared between both Australians and other coalition forces. 

“Serving with our coalition partners was an absolute privilege. I worked closely with our American cousins, as well as the French and Dutch forces. You meet some real characters along the way, but what stands out most is the trust, humour and respect that forms between people who serve side by side.” 

Photo taken near Forward Operating Base (FOB) Hadrian, the day before Rob was struck by an IED

Leading through loss 

During his second deployment, Rob was injured when his Bushmaster struck a pressure-plate IED. He was evacuated to Kandahar and spent three weeks receiving medical care until he was cleared to return to duty.  

When Rob arrived back at the patrol base, he found the soldiers were grieving after receiving the news that three of their mates had been killed. He credits his fresh perspective after recovery with helping the team regain its focus at an extraordinarily difficult time. 

“I really had to lead the team back to a place where they could move forward and get on with the job.” 

Service in Afghanistan continues to evoke complicated emotions for many who served. Rob doesn’t shy away from that complexity, but he has a clear message for other Afghanistan veterans. 

“Your service did matter,” he emphasises. 

“I know a lot of bad came out of it, but there was also a lot of good.” 

“I loved and hated it. I miss it. I think about it every day. But I wouldn’t change a thing.”

The memorial for Sapper James Martin, Lance Corporal Stjepan Milosevic, and Private Robert Poate at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Fenty in Jalalabad, Afghanistan

Rediscovering that connection 

Returning to Australia brought a different set of challenges for Rob. He experienced post-traumatic stress, as well as physical injuries, which ultimately led to a medical discharge from the Army. After he transitioned out of Defence, he travelled overseas, worked aboard luxury yachts, and eventually returned to Australia to build a career in real estate. 

Years later, he found his way to Clayfield-Toombul RSL Sub Branch. Although initially hesitant, he discovered a community spanning different generations and service experiences, united by a familiar history and camaraderie – “It felt like home,” he remembers. 

The Sub Branch has given Rob a place to speak with people who understand the aspects of military service that can be difficult to explain to civilian friends. 

“It’s a good place to talk about it,” he says. “And it’s nice to talk about it sometimes.”  

For Rob, that connection reflects the continuing role of the RSL: bringing people together, helping veterans talk through both the good and difficult aspects of their service, and ensuring their stories are not lost. 

“We all have our own individual stories of what we’ve accomplished during our service,” he says.  

“Maintaining the traditions, like commemorations, keeps those stories alive for my generation, the generation before and the generation coming.” 

25 years on 

AFGHANISTAN25 reflects on the service of every Australian who served during those two decades, remembering those who lost their lives, and acknowledges the lasting impact on veterans, families and communities.  

For Rob, commemoration is not about simplifying the Afghanistan story. It is about making space for it, honouring those who served, and educating Australians on the conflict and its impact.  

His message to fellow Afghanistan veterans is simple: their experiences, their sacrifices and their service matter. 

And 25 years after Australia’s involvement began, those stories deserve to be heard, shared and remembered.