The excellent Fax

Special Air Service Regiment combat assault dog, Fax has been posthumously awarded the Australian Animal Distinguished Service Medal in a moving ceremony in  Perth. The Belgian Malinois was recognised for outstanding gallantry during Operation Slipper in Afghanistan.

On 6 January 2013, Fax sensed an ambush position in a creek line in Uruzgan. He sprinted ahead to engage an armed insurgent, drawing fire away from his patrol enabling his team to engage the threat. Fax was mortally wounded in the action, but his intervention saved the lives of his handler and patrol members. Commander SASR Colonel S. described combat assault dogs as 'both our shield and our sword'.

Fax joins a legacy of service, with more than 200 military working dogs currently serving across the ADF.