A rare day off at the Afghan front

FOR army physiotherapist Emma Cameron, Anzac Day in Afghanistan means her first day off in a gruelling three months and a beer ration in what is normally a dry base at Camp Holland. Lieutenant Cameron, 29, from the Brisbane-based 2nd Health Support Battalion, sees on average between seven to 10 patients a day -- mostly Diggers -- suffering from sprains or sore lower backs, a legacy of the huge loads they lug when on patrol. In a telephone interview from her base in Tarin Kowt, she said her most memorable experiences so far involved "patrols outside the wire" to forward operating bases in the Chora and Baluchi passes northeast of Camp Holland.In addition to being a qualified physiotherapist, Lieutenant Cameron is also a combat medic, skills that have come in handy treating Afghan civilians. She admitted her parents worried for her safety in Afghanistan. "I think Mum and Dad are proud of me but at the same time probably wish I wasn't here just for the safety aspect," she said. "But they know I'm having a great time -- it's been such an amazing experience for me and this is what I trained for." Asked her plans for celebrating Anzac Day, Lieutenant Cameron replied: "I get to have a beer, which is pretty exciting, and it will be my first day off in three months." But there was no beer or day off for Dallas Coleman, 32, from Adelaide, an airborne electronics analyst onboard a RAAF P3-C Orion, who had to maintain surveillance over Afghanistan.