Battle Group 8/9RAR

Unit Colour Patch of 8/9RAR

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8/9th Bn RAR HISTORY

Mr Howard PM is the closest the West has to a Winston Churchill.

PM revives battle group
Greg Roberts October 03, 2007

JOHN Howard has resurrected an army unit killed off 10 years ago in the second stage of a $4.1 billion program to increase the number of regular battalions from six to eight.

The Prime Minister yesterday formally re-established the Royal Australian Regiment's 8th/9th Battalion - with 1200 troops to be based in Brisbane.


The move implements the second stage of the Enhanced Land Force initiative after the raising and deployment of the 7th Battalion to Darwin.

The 8th/9th, the youngest battalion of the Australian army when it was formed in a post-Vietnam War merger in 1973, was disbanded in 1997 and its regimental colours confined to the Infantry Corps museum in Singleton.

However, the 8th/9th - which as separate regiments raised during the Vietman War won two Distinguished Service Orders, five Military Crosses and nine Military Medals between them - will return to its old home at Gallipoli Barracks in the Brisbane suburb of Enogerra.


"The nation should never scrimp and save when providing for its defence," Mr Howard said at the barracks yesterday.


He said the $10 billion initiative would increase to eight the number of regular army battalions from five in 1996.

"This success has been made possible by the Government's significant investment in defence recruitment and retention, which this year has produced one of the best recruitment results in 30 years," he said.

"Today's announcement marks a further down-payment on our commitment to a larger, more versatile and more capable army suited to an uncertain strategic environment."

Mr Howard also announced an $80 million redevelopment of facilities at the Gallipoli Barracks in Brisbane's northwest suburbs.

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/