Since World War II Australia and the United States have fought together in several major conflicts, reflecting our strong military alliance, formalised by the ANZUS Treaty in 1951.
The following are the major conflicts where both nations deployed combat forces together:
Korean War (1950–1953)
Australia joined the U.S.-led United Nations effort to repel North Korea’s invasion of South Korea. Australian troops fought alongside American forces in key battles.
Vietnam War (1962–1973)
Australia committed troops to support the U.S. in combating communist forces in Vietnam. At its peak, over 7,000 Australian personnel served, notably in battles alongside with American units.
Gulf War (1990–1991)
Australia contributed naval forces and personnel to the U.S.-led coalition to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The Royal Australian Navy played a significant role in enforcing sanctions and supporting combat operations.
Afghanistan War (2001–2021)
Following the September 11 attacks, Australia invoked the ANZUS Treaty and deployed special forces, followed by a sustained presence, fighting alongside U.S. troops against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
Iraq War (2003–2011)
Australia joined the U.S.-led “Coalition of the Willing” to invade Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein. Australian special forces and air units were heavily involved in the initial invasion and subsequent operations.
What’s next?
These five conflicts are the primary instances where Australia and the United States engaged in direct combat operations together since World War II. Both nations also collaborated in smaller-scale or non-combat roles, such as peacekeeping in East Timor (1999–2000, with U.S. logistical support) and counter-ISIS operations in Iraq and Syria (2014–ongoing), though these often involved limited direct fighting by Australian ground troops.
But getting back to the five major conflicts did you notice that we followed the U.S. into these wars or that they were U.S.-led? The lapdog came when called.
Over the last six weeks we’ve seen a change of dynamics and if Trump continues his cuddle-up to Putin… will we still be allies with America? Will we ever heed their call again? Or will we be on the other team, whoever that might be?
Uncle Sam won’t need us anymore.
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We should exit ANZUS and USUKA while we can and not wait till we are used and dumped when the perfidious US changes sides, as well as cancelling all armaments orders from the recalcitrant unreliable US, which can cancel logistic support for them when we may need the use of them most.
I don’t really believe Ankle Sum ever really needed Australian support; it’s more a case of drag a few allies along so that we don’t look as though what we’re actually are – a marauding country jack-booting itself into the affairs of other nations when we have, arguably, no right at all to behave that way.
The presence of other countries adds to the illusion that what we’re doing is correct and decent and righteous and appropriate.
The pity of it is, for this country and others similarly gulled into going along with the charade, the human cost; hundreds if not thousands killed & maimed along with the collateral damage to those left behind – parents, partners, siblings & children etc, all of whom carry the imposed burden of relating to and dealing with deeply damaged men & women…. – for what gain – showing the hegemonic behemoth that we’re there to ‘assist’.
FCKU UNCLE SAM! Let America fight its own hideous, self-serving wars! History has PROVEN that most Americans couldn’t point out Australia on a map if their lives depended upon it. The fact is the ONLY time America looks to Australia or New Zealand is when they want expendable cannon fodder to fight in their dreadful wars and ILLEGAL conflicts, which they lost in Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq! There is now no doubt that the insular Trump doesn’t give a STUFF about Australia. When Trump was recently asked what he thought of AUKUS, he replied “What’s that?” (refer link below) ….. WTF???? SEROUSLY? The only time that pompous, megalomaniacal, misogynistic predator and CONVICTED CRIMINAL, Trump, opens his massive cake hole is to change feet!
It is apparent that Trump hasn’t got a CLUE what is going on outside his insular little world in America. Doesn’t he KNOW that Russia invaded the Ukraine and not the other way around? Yet his cowardly attack and harassment against Volodymyr Zelensky, (the popular Ukranian President who attained more than 73% of the country’s votes at the last democratic Ukrainian election), is an act of unspeakable betrayal. Justifiably, this arrogant, betrayal of the Ukraine now makes other nations (like Australia, Canada and most other nations in Europe) to question our loyalty to Trump’s irrational version of a “separatist America”. If Trump and Americans want a separatist America, they will RUE the day when the world (outside of America, Korea and Russia) turns their back on them especially in relation to trade and the resultant inevitability of global isolation.
The type of people Trump is aligning himself with right now is a real worry. The fact that Trump is cuddling up to the ex-KGB assassin, Vladimir Putin as well as providing significant support to that insane, genocidal and unspeakably depraved psychopath, the Israeli dictator Netanyahu, whom the UN have just denounced as a WAR CRIMINAL due to his murderous army (on Netanyahu’s instructions) shooting down and slaughtering non-Jewish Palestinians (Muslims and Christians alike) as they attempt to flee Netanyahu’s KILLING FIELDS along the Gaza Strip and elsewhere in their homeland of Palestine, is absolutely OUTRAGEOUS and says SO MUCH about Trump and NONE of it good!
What is TRULY SHOCKING is that Trump is the perverted political psychopath that Dutton openly admires and wants to emulate. REALLY? No wonder – and thank God – the ALP won so convincingly in the (usually) conservative State of WA. Let’s hope that the deluded, totally corrupt, like-minded, Trump-supporting intellectual midget, Dutton, is kept in Opposition PERMANENTLY. Dutton/Trump are the worst kinds of dangerously undemocratic, racist, political psychopaths in the western world right now!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-28/donald-trump-asks-what-aukus-means-after-keir-starmer-meeting/104993110