They were training to be ready to fight wars; instead, an Australian soldier lost his life during the exercise. Australia's Department of Defence confirmed the death in a brief press release: 'Defence can confirm an Australian Army soldier has died during a training exercise at the Mount Bundey Training Area on 5 October 2026.'
'Five other Australian Army soldiers were injured. Next of kin has been notified. We request that the privacy of Defence members and families is respected at this time. Defence will provide further updates when possible,' the statement read in full.