War Memorial opens Afghanistan exhibition

Australians can get a glimpse of what it might be like for troops still in Afghanistan thanks to a new exhibition at the Australian War Memorial.

Every war adds something to the language and one contribution from more than a decade in Afghanistan is the acronym YPOC.

That's military shorthand for yellow palm oil container, the plastic cooking oil drums ubiquitous throughout the Middle East and widely used by insurgents to make the signature weapon of the conflict, the improvised explosive device (IED).

Out of 40 Australians who died in Afghanistan, IEDs killed 16.

Australian troops encountered IEDs - YPOCs filled with HME (fertiliser-based homemade explosive) - almost everywhere.

Although crude, Taliban IEDs were quite capable of destroying a vehicle, although not Australia's Bushmaster, or obliterating an unwary soldier or passing civilian.

Now some of these devices are on display at the Australian War Memorial's new exhibition on the Afghanistan conflict.

That features artifacts, such as a Scan Eagle remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), plus the stories of men and women who served.

This exhibition in Canberra is the first big event for new director Brendan Nelson who took over the job in February insisting the Memorial needed to display Australia's experience in Afghanistan soon, not years down the track.

He's delivered, with the exhibition officially opened on Tuesday.

That was preceded by the Memorial's increasingly popular Last Post ceremony with Army Chief Lieutenant General David Morrison reciting the names of the 40 soldiers killed in Afghanistan.