Wildcat
Major
Brisbane soldier shot dead in live firing exercise | The Courier-MailLATEST: A SPECIAL forces commando killed during a live training exercise has been named as an Afghanistan veteran from Brisbane.
Lance Corporal Mason Edwards, 30, who has served in Afghanistan twice, was killed and another soldier was injured near Port Augusta during live-fire training exercises last night for a mission in Afghanistan.
Police are investigating the shooting with support from ADF investigators.
According to Australian Air Force Cadets, Edwards was from Brisbane and a Pilot Officer (AAFC) in the Australian Air Force Cadets before joining the army.
He won the most Outstanding Soldier for Initial Employment Training at Kapunda, NSW,before becoming a Commando in 4 RGT RAR, later 2 CDO RGT.
Live-fire exercises at Cultana are generally held outdoors, with soldiers given a specific target, a veteran told AdelaideNow this morning.
Live machine gun fire is generally vollied overhead and from behind to give the soldiers the impression of being fired upon.
The veteran, who has trained at Cultana, said the firing was usually done from a machine gun mounted on a tripod, requiring precision angles from safety co-ordinators and firing soldiers.
"Definitely there are angles involved, somebody has to coordinate the firing over the top of their head," the former elite soldier said.
"If they got angles wrong, because it is generally coming from behind, then it's firing at head height," he said.
However, the veteran stressed he had no information about the specific cause of last night's tragedy or the circumstances of the exercise involved .
A soldier from the 2nd Commando Regiment was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other soldier, from the Incident Response Regiment, was taken to Port Augusta Hospital for treatment to an arm injury.
Both soldiers were training for an upcoming Afghanistan mission when the shooting happened about 9.30pm during night training.
The injured soldier has been transferred to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, where he is in a serious condition.
The ADF said it was "too early" to say exactly how the highly trained soldiers were killed.
Chief of Army Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie said the incident was subject to extensive investigations by both military and civilian services.
"It is too early to make further comment with regards to the cause of this accident," he said early this morning.
Lieutenant General Gillespie said both men were part of the Sydney-based Special Operations Command. No details of the men were being released although their families have been notified.
"Army and the wider Defence community is doing everything we can to assist and support them through this very difficult time," he said in a written statement.
I used to know this man. Rest well Digger
