Operation Locke

Seargeant Matthew Locke was born in 1974 in Bellingen, New South Wales, to Norm and Jan Locke, the youngest of six children. Locke left school at the age of 15 to work for two years in a sawmill, before enlisting in the army at the age of 17.

After completing Recruit Training at Kapooka, SGT Locke was allocated to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and commenced his Initial Employment Training at Singleton, New South Wales in 1991. At the completion of his Initial Employment Training, he was posted to the 5th/7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment.

In November 1997, SGT Locke successfully completed the Special Air Service selection course and over the next two years, completed another 15 specialist courses ranging from patrolling, demolitions, diving, parachuting, and medical. He was posted to the 3rd Special Air Service Squadron.

SGT Locke died in 2007, on Operation ‘Spin Ghar’ while working with coalition partners and Afghan forces in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan. The operation directly supported an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan National Security Forces operation to target and clear Taliban extremists from the area around Tarin Kot.

During his service, SGT Locke was awarded:

• the Medal for Gallantry
• the Australian Active Service Medal
• the Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• the Australian Defence Medal
• the United Nations Medal with the United Nations Transitional Authority East Timor Ribbon
• the Iraq Clasp to the Australian Active Service Medal
• the International Coalition Against Terrorism Clasp to the Australian Active Service Medal
• the Infantry Combat Badge
• the Returned from Active Service Badge.

Sergeant Locke’s sacrifice and legacy will endure and he will not be forgotten.