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8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
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The 8th/9th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (8/9 RAR) is an Australian Army infantry battalion. It was originally formed in 1973 by linking together both the 8th and 9th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment. Over the next twenty-four years the battalion would remain on the Australian Order of Battle based at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane, Queensland, until it was disbanded in 1997 amid a number of Defence-wide cutbacks introduced by the Howard government.
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Encyclopedia
The 8th/9th Battalion Royal Australian Regiment (8/9 RAR) is an Australian Army infantry battalion. It was originally formed in 1973 by linking together both the 8th and 9th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment. Over the next twenty-four years the battalion would remain on the Australian Order of Battle based at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane, Queensland, until it was disbanded in 1997 amid a number of Defence-wide cutbacks introduced by the Howard government. In 2006 it was announced that the battalion would be re-raised as part of a plan to expand the size of the Australian Army. Since then 8/9 RAR has established a cadre staff along with various elements at Enoggera Barracks and over the course of the coming years it will begin to establish itself as a fully-deployable and operational light infantry battalion as part of 7th Brigade.
History
8/9 RAR was formed on 31 October 1973 by linking 8th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment and 9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment as part of cutbacks to the army following the end of the Vietnam War. Since then it was based at Enoggera Barracks in Brisbane where it formed part of the 6th Brigade.
In 1992, the battalion took on the role of a Ready Reserve unit. Under this scheme Ready Reserve soldiers were posted to the battalion for an initial 12 month full time period, followed by a further period of 4 years part time. The Ready Reserve scheme was abolished by the incoming Howard government in 1996. Shortly after this, 8/9 RAR was disbanded on 18 June 1997.
On 24 August 2006 Prime Minister John Howard announced that the battalion would be re-raised under a new plan to increase the size of the Army. The battalion would continue to be called the 8/9th battalion. The battalion will be based in South East Queensland. On 2 Oct 2007 the Australian Government announced that 8/9 RAR would be re-raised to be deployable by 2010.
The Battalion has since established the nucleus of BHQ including CO, OPSO, ADJT and Chief Clerk at the Battalion's old lines in Enoggera. COL Iain Cruickshank, DSM, CSC is expected to be named as Colonel Commandant by the end of 2007 and it is hoped that the battalion will be able to be deployable by the target date of 2010.
Traditions
The battalion lanyard is coloured slate grey and beech brown and these colours are used elsewhere in sporting uniforms and the like. The official battalion march is The Brown and Grey Lanyard but the unofficial march is Black Bear with a boisterous 'OY' inserted in the appropriate places.
The battalion mascot was a stud merino ram called officially John Macarthur, named for the Australian wool pioneer but known affectionately to the diggers as 'Stan the Ram'.
Former Chief of Army Lieutenant-General Peter Leahy is a past Commanding Officer of the battalion.
8th/9th Battalion Association
The Battalion Associtation was created to perpetuate the memory of the unit when it was initially disbanded in 1997. With resurrection in 2007, the association now serves as the conduit for past, present and future members.
Alliances
Gallery
External links
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