Private Greg Sher – Afghanistan
RSL Victoria remembers the sacrifice of Private Greg Sher who lost his life in service of his country in Afghanistan in 2009.
Greg Sher was born in South Africa in 1978 one of three sons born to Felix and Yvonne Sher. Like all South African men at the time, his father was conscripted for military service and served in Angola in southern Africa. Both of Greg’s grandfathers served during WWII, deploying with Allied forces in North Africa.
Unhappy with life in apartheid South Africa the family made the decision to migrate out of the country to Australia in 1986.
“I was really struck by how so many little things were similar”, said Felix Sher. “In South Africa there was an advert that went ‘Braai Vleis (Grilled Meat), Rugby, Sunny Skies and Chevrolet’ and at the football in Australia I saw the advert that went ‘Football, Meat Pies, Kangaroos and Holden Cars’, the same advert exactly and the Chevrolet’s were just rebadged Holdens.”
While Felix did not like being conscripted every alternative year for 3-month border duty, in South Africa, he believes Greg became interested in the Army from seeing his father in uniform and going to Parade on a Tuesday night. It was an interest that became a passion as he grew.
In Australia, the family settled in Doncaster in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs where Greg went to Doncaster Park Primary School and Doncaster Secondary College.
Greg was very proud of his Jewish faith and had a deep desire to protect his community. Shortly after he left school, at 19 years of age, he joined the Community Security Group (CSG) to provide security at Jewish events in Victoria. Greg passionately contributed to the professional growth of this volunteer organisation as it expanded its remit to include the protection of Jewish Day Schools and Synagogues. In time, Greg joined the professional team as the head of Training and Operations where he shaped its culture of humility, professionalism and respect that carries on today in his memory.
“He was always a protector,” Felix Sher said. “He always wanted to protect people, firstly in the Jewish community but then in the wider community. That is why he joined the Army reserve, to protect people.”
Greg enlisted in the Army Reserve as a part-time rifleman in 1998. In 2002 he was one of a number of Army reservists who deployed to East Timor to assist with humanitarian operations and provide security for the fledgling nation.
“We were worried about him,” Felix Sher said. “But his motivation to serve his country and protect others was always Greg’s priority.”
In a sincere message sent home to his family from East Timor, Greg earnestly explained that his service in the Army was the best way he knew how to help people; it was what he was good at.
When he returned from East Timor, Greg passed the arduous selection course required to join Special Forces and was posted to 1 Commando Regiment. During qualification, Greg worked diligently to successfully complete the suite of training courses required to receive his coveted green beret, including infantry reconnaissance, military parachuting, urban warfare, combat first aid, heavy weapons, roping, demolitions, and amphibious operations.
“He was looking for a bigger challenge,” Felix Sher said. “As much as he loved the 5/6 Royal Victorian Regiment, he was looking for greater challenges. Greg chose the part-time 1st Commando Regiment as it allowed him to continue his work with the CSG while staying close to his family.
Greg remained passionate about his fitness and regularly challenged himself. One of his favourite training spots was the Thousand Steps in the Dandenong Ranges, where he would push himself to his limit, pausing only to re-tape his bloodied feet, motivate his fellow soldiers to keep going or quietly add more weight to his own pack.
Throughout his time in the Army, Greg had always sought opportunities to better himself as a soldier and gain additional experience through deployments. He volunteered for Operation Gold, the ADF’s effort to provide security at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He also volunteered for Operation Relex II in 2005, which served as the ADF’s border protection campaign across Australia’s northern approaches.
In November 2008, Greg deployed to Uruzgan province. It was the first time Army Reserves had been deployed in combat operations since the end of the Second World War. He was highly respected amongst his fellow soldiers at Tarin Kowt where he was known as the “Super Jew”.
“I was not surprised at the nickname,” Felix Sher said. “He did so much exercise and training he was built like Arnold Schwarzenegger.”
On Christmas Day, Greg called from Afghanistan to catch up with his family, which would turn out to be the last time his parents would hear his voice.
The plight of Afghan women was what drew Greg to being deployed to Afghanistan. It did not sit well with him that they were not allowed to be educated under the Taliban. Greg was proud to extend the protection he had offered to his own Jewish community at home to the Muslim people of Afghanistan, particularly the women, who were coming out of decades of oppression and war.
On 4 January 2009, Greg was forward deployed on an operation in the Baluchi valley when Taliban insurgents fired rockets into the compound where he was resting with other members of his patrol. Greg was killed instantly when the rocket struck him after passing through a shipping container.
His parents were on holiday in Daylesford at the time and in the middle of the night they received a call from Greg’s brothers, who told them the military were at their house and that Greg had been killed in Afghanistan.
Greg’s body was returned home to Melbourne where a moving Ramp Ceremony took place, conducted by his unit comrades. He was buried with full military honours at Chevra Kadisha Cemetery in Lyndhurst before 3000 mourners including then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull.
Greg’s dedication and service to Australia is reflected in the medals and honours that were awarded to him. These include the Infantry Combat Badge, the Australian Active Service Medal (with ICAT Clasp and East Timor Clasp), the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Operational Service Medal, the Australian Defence Medal, the UN Transitional Authority in East Timor Medal, and the NATO Medal with ISAF Clap.
“There were some things about Greg that I only learnt after his passing,” Felix Sher said. “I have learnt so much about him from his friends that I did not know when he was alive. He was a great listener. He was a very deep individual with very considered ideas about the world, but when he was with someone, he listened more than he spoke. He wanted to know what others thought and was always prepared to take on their point of view.”
Greg’s volunteering spirit inspired others, including family and many of his friends, who saw his dedication to service and followed in his footsteps. Since his passing, they themselves made the decision to positively contribute to our society and have subsequently joined the Australian Army, the Royal Australian Air Force, Victoria Police, the CSG, and other service organisations.
Private Greg Sher has been remembered in many ways by the broader community. In 2016, the Gregory Sher Reintegration and Recovery Centre in Parkville was named in his honour and opened by the Governor-General of Australia, serving as a place for returned soldiers to go where they can meet professionals helping them return to civilian life. The Greg Sher Memorial Award was also established in his honour, which is awarded to Jewish students in Victoria who make a significant contribution to their community.
Greg has also been remembered in many memorials across Australia, most prominently at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra where his name will forever appear on their Roll of Honour wall for future generations to learn of his sacrifice.
At the unveiling of a memorial dedicated to Greg by 1 Commando Regiment, Felix Sher said that “The pain our family feels stem from our deep attachment to Australia and its people. Every Australian soldier killed is a dagger in our hearts, but it is a heart connected to a precious body.”
RSL Victoria pays tribute to Greg Sher, his family and all those who have sacrificed in the service of their country.
Lest We Forget.
