He enlisted into the Australian Regular Army 09/07/2007 and completed his Initial Recruit Training at 1st Recruit Training Battalion in October 2007.

After completing his driver courses and the suite of Combat Engineer Courses in May 2008, Spr Moerland was posted to 2 CER, Brisbane. Whilst at 2 CER, he went on to complete a number of courses including: Protected Mobility Driver course in April 2009 and Combat First Aider in August 2009.

He was deployed to Afghanistan in January 2010 as part of 1st Mentoring Task Force and this was his first deployment. Snowy died as a result of wounds when an improvised explosive device detonated, along with his 2CER colleague Sapper Darren Smith and Darren’s explosive detection dog Herbie.

As part of his tour, he was awarded the

• Australian Active Service Medal
  • with Clasp International Campaign against Terrorism
• Afghanistan Campaign Medal
• NATO non-article 5 ISAF Medal
• Australian Defence Medal
• Meritorious Unit Citation and Army Combat Badge

Statement by Mrs Sandy Moerland.
Jacob was born in Cairns on 14th January 1989 to parents Sandy and Robert Moerland. The family moved to Proserpine within three weeks of this birth, and this regular pattern of movement continued due to his fathers’ work. A life-long friendship with the Walker family started here, as did the family’s love of camping.

The family subsequently moved to Mackay where Jacob started school and participated in his first sport, T-ball. While living in Gladstone he started playing soccer, a game he enjoyed and excelled in.

Living in Blackwater saw Jacob and his sisters Bethany and Laura, and the neighbourhood children take advantage of their cement driveway to roller blade, and many hours of fun were had playing roller hockey. The family finally settling in Gayndah in September 2000 after a six-moth camping trip through the Northern Territory and Western Australia.

Jacob attended the Gayndah State School where he held a position on the student council, and the position of Chairperson on the formal committee at the Burnett State College. Life for Jacob in this small welcoming community was filled with football, fishing in the Burnett River, school musicals and community theatre, family camping trips with army bases built with his sisters, computer games, and many opportunities to get into mischief with his valued friends, as with his Mum and sisters, they put down permanent roots in the community. He was infamous for his sparkler bombs.

Jacob was an invaluable help to his mother in fencing her hobby goat farm during the last two years of high school, banging in hundreds of star pickets, and running out endless wire and netting.

Jacob was an active member of his church and youth group, and his faith in God upheld him during testing times, especially when he was deployed to Afghanistan.

From an early age Jacob was interested in all thing Army, playing with Action men, and building army based on camping holidays, and it came as no surprise that he would join the Australian Army. He loved his life as a Combat Engineer in the army and the mateship he shared with other soldiers. A larrikin, hard worker, and proud Sapper, he lived life to the full.

We, his family, are immensely proud of Jacob. His loss has cast a long shadow of sorrow over our lives, but we are comforted in our belief we will be reunited with him in heaven when our time here on earth comes to an end.

Leading up to ANZAC Day 2010 his former teacher Steve Adams asked him to write a reflection piece for his students in Gayndah, and it is only fitting that Jacob has the last word;

“We are Holdfast.” A section of Combat Engineers in Afghanistan providing mobility, search ops, counter IED and clearance tasks

The enemy we fight hides in the civilian population, taking opportunistic shots at us, nevertheless we are prevailing. With our friends, family, and most importantly the bloke next to us in mind, we venture outside the walls of our compound whatever our enemy has prepared for us or innocent civilians.

Some days it’s quiet, locals tending their fields and herds. Others find us with an IED in our path or changing suddenly with bullets flying around you and your mates. This is war as we know it.

Tasks here have seen us clear the roads for vehicle supply lines, dismounted patrols, and specific searches, both counter IED and suspected insurgent compounds, as well as large amounts of opportunistic search.

Together with our infantry comrades, we are the iron fist in the valley, trying to quell the insurgents in the area.

Everyone thinks and is reminded of home, but we have a duty to perform for our country, and we do it with honour and respect for those who have gone before us.

We are proud to be here, proud to be sons, brothers, and fathers, proud to be engineers and proud to call ourselves Australian soldiers.

Sapper J Moerland