The loss of three American firefighters in Australia serves as a reminder of our two nations’ very special alliance.
U.S. military veterans Ian McBeth, Paul Hudson, and Rick DeMorgan Jr. were killed on Thursday when their C-130 water tanker variant crashed in Australia’s New South Wales state. They were three of 100 Americans who are helping Australia battle devastating wildfires.
But while it is obviously little solace to their families, this sacrifice reminds the rest of us of the enduring value of the United States-Australia alliance. It’s one that has stood the test of time, in peace and in war.
The story finds its greatest roots in our shared struggle against the Axis powers in World War II. More than 27,000 Australians fought and died alongside our own in pushing back Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. This shared sacrifice continued with the Australian commitment to the U.S.-led missions in support of South Korea and South Vietnam. Hundreds of Australians died in each of those conflicts.
Similarly, dozens of Australians have died alongside our own in Afghanistan since September 2001. And the Australian military commitment there, unlike many of our other allies (cough, Germany, cough), has involved direct combat operations against the enemy. Australia’s superb special forces have earned particular distinction here.
Australia supports our alliance in other ways beyond war. The Australian Secret Intelligence Service and Signals Directorate play important roles in supporting Five Eyes intelligence collection priorities in the Asia-Pacific. But perhaps Australia’s most important value as an ally comes from its courage in refusing to submit to powerful adversaries.
Take Australia’s courage in the face of Xi Jinping’s rising imperium.
Refusing to bow in the face of Chinese economic warfare and harassment, the Australian government continues to support our liberal international order without apology. We should not take this for granted. The U.S.-China cold war will define the future of geopolitical order in the 21st century. And too few allies are willing to stand with us in defense of the freedom and prosperity we all hold dear.
As I say, this doesn’t take away from the awful loss of McBeth, Hudson, and DeMorgan. But we should take solace from that which they died doing: serving a most valuable ally, in a most honorable cause.
