 In 2000, Burr (then a lieutenant colonel) served as equerry to Queen Elizabeth II during her royal tour of Australia, during which he was appointed a Member of the Royal Victorian Order.Burr commanded Australian troops in Afghanistan in 2002, and later during Operation Falconer in 2003 as the Commander of the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), commonly known as the SAS and considered the most elite unit in the Australian Army.For his leadership in the Middle East, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the United States Bronze Star Medal.