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Anzac Day 2016: Australian and New Zealand troops mark Anzac Day in Iraq

They fly up the Persian Gulf, past uncertain friends and semi-hostile nations seen out either window of the RAAF Hercules C130, through Iraq's barren seas of sand to a base just north of Baghdad, where the history of ANZAC rings loud. Some 300 Australians and 100 New Zealanders have come together for their biggest shared […]

Paul Toohey writes for The Sydney Morning Herald:

They fly up the Persian Gulf, past uncertain friends and semi-hostile nations seen out either window of the RAAF Hercules C130, through Iraq's barren seas of sand to a base just north of Baghdad, where the history of ANZAC rings loud.

Some 300 Australians and 100 New Zealanders have come together for their biggest shared mission since Gallipoli, 101 years ago, joined by a will to do their part ridding the world of the Islamic State.

They will share April 25 on the ground in Iraq as they work to train Iraqis to better skill themselves in fighting the Islamic State.

Many of the Australian troops have direct connections back to ANZAC Cove and the Western Front.