On 11 October 2026, under the quiet dignity of the Australian War Memorial, a special ceremony marked 25 years since Australian forces first deployed to Afghanistan. From that day comes this powerful pairing — a limited challenge coin struck for the occasion and the official Operation Slipper lapel pin, both carrying the weight of service, sacrifice and remembrance.

The coin’s reverse captures the rugged Afghan landscape beneath the Southern Cross, with a vivid spray of red flowers at its base and the dates 2001–2021. The obverse bears the Commonwealth Coat of Arms under the banner of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, dated the very day of the anniversary. Alongside it sits the Operation Slipper pin (2001–2014), a small but proud emblem of Australia’s longest war. Together they form a tangible link to those who served.