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Axons Unleashed Podcast: Dave & Sarbi – The Story of An ADF Dog’s 14-Month Recall

Welcome to Season 2 of Axons Unleashed!

Season 2 begins with Axon Property Specialist and Army veteran Dave Simpson, who shares one of the most remarkable stories from his 21-year ADF career.

During a deployment to Afghanistan, Dave and his Explosive Detection Dog, Sarbi, became separated during an intense firefight. For the next 14 months, Dave received conflicting reports about whether Sarbi was alive, where she was and whether she would ever be recovered.

In this episode, Dave shares the story of their time together, the battle that separated them and the extraordinary circumstances that eventually led to Sarbi being found. He also discusses his transition from the ADF, his own experiences with property investment and the lessons from Defence that he has carried into his civilian career.

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Dave Simpson, Sarbi and a Remarkable ADF Story

Before joining Axon, Dave Simpson spent 21 years in the Australian Army, including five deployments to Afghanistan over seven years. He also spent many years working with military dogs – including Sarbi, an Explosive Detection Dog he trained and developed an extraordinary bond with.

But Dave’s story with Axon actually began through property. After purchasing investment properties himself, he sought professional assistance when an upcoming deployment meant he wouldn’t be in Australia to manage his next purchase. That introduced him to Robbie and eventually opened the door to a new career after Defence.

Dave is also open about the fact that his early property experiences weren’t all successful. His first investment failed to perform as he had hoped, reinforcing the importance of due diligence and understanding the people and organisations involved in a property purchase. Those experiences would later influence the detailed and process-driven approach he brought to helping other investors.

In this episode, Dave and the team discuss:

  • Dave’s 21-year Army career, including five deployments to Afghanistan.
  • His early property investment experiences, including mistakes that shaped his approach to due diligence.
  • How he purchased an investment property while deployed and eventually moved from property investor into the industry.
  • Dave’s transition from the ADF and the Defence skills he has carried into his civilian career.
  • Training Sarbi and the bond that developed between Dave and his Explosive Detection Dog.
  • The intense Afghanistan firefight that led to Dave and Sarbi becoming separated.
  • The 14 months of uncertainty that followed and the extraordinary circumstances that led to Sarbi being found.
  • Sarbi’s eventual reunion with Dave, her retirement and the legacy of her remarkable story.

Sarbi’s story has become an important part of Australian military history, but this episode also provides an insight into the person behind the story. Dave reflects candidly on investment mistakes, leaving a long-term military career and finding a new direction after Defence.

For ADF members considering their own transition, his experience also demonstrates how skills developed throughout a military career can transfer into an entirely different profession. Dave’s attention to detail, commitment to training and process-driven approach didn’t disappear when he left Defence – they became strengths he could apply to the next stage of his career.