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The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was the name given to all-volunteer
Volunteer

A volunteer is someone who works Community service or for the benefit of environment primarily because they choose to do so. The word comes from France, it can also be translated as "will" ....
 Australian Army
Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force....
 forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 and World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
.



Following the Federation of Australia
Federation of Australia

The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate United Kingdom self-governing colony of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed a federation....
 in 1901, the Commonwealth Military Forces were formed with a small regular army
Regular Army

In contemporary use, the term Regular Army refers to the full-time active component of the United States Army, as opposed to the United States Army Reserve or the Army National Guard....
 and a larger component of reservists in the Citizens Military Force (CMF). The CMF could not be deployed overseas, so the AIFs were formed in 1914 and 1939 respectively to provide troops for overseas service.

The two AIFs are distinguished by referring to the World War I contingent as the "1st AIF", and the World War II contingent as the "2nd AIF".






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The Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was the name given to all-volunteer
Volunteer

A volunteer is someone who works Community service or for the benefit of environment primarily because they choose to do so. The word comes from France, it can also be translated as "will" ....
 Australian Army
Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force....
 forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I
World War I

World War I, or the First World War , was a global military conflict which involved the Great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War I and the Central Powers....
 and World War II
World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
.

  • First Australian Imperial Force
    First Australian Imperial Force

    The First Australian Imperial Force was the main Expeditionary warfare of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from August 15, 1914, following United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland's declaration of war on German Empire....
     (1914-18)
  • Second Australian Imperial Force
    Second Australian Imperial Force

    The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Australian Citizens Military Forces nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to do so....
     (1939-45)


Following the Federation of Australia
Federation of Australia

The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate United Kingdom self-governing colony of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia formed a federation....
 in 1901, the Commonwealth Military Forces were formed with a small regular army
Regular Army

In contemporary use, the term Regular Army refers to the full-time active component of the United States Army, as opposed to the United States Army Reserve or the Army National Guard....
 and a larger component of reservists in the Citizens Military Force (CMF). The CMF could not be deployed overseas, so the AIFs were formed in 1914 and 1939 respectively to provide troops for overseas service.

The two AIFs are distinguished by referring to the World War I contingent as the "1st AIF", and the World War II contingent as the "2nd AIF". During World War I, the Australian Flying Corps, the precursor of the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force

The Royal Australian Air Force is the Air Force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF began in March 1912 as the Australian Flying Corps and became a fully independent Air Force in March 1921....
, was part of the 1st AIF.

Members of the First AIF went on to serve in the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War
Allied Intervention in the Russian Civil War

The Allied intervention was a multi-national military expedition launched in 1918 during the Russian Civil War and World War I. The intervention involved almost a dozen nations and was conducted over vast expanse of territory....
 from 1917 to 1920 and many Australian First World War Memorials are to the Great War of 1914 to 1919 in recognition of this service.

The modern regular Australian Army
Australian Army

The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force....
 was established in 1947 and its soldiers can be deployed anywhere in the world. Theatres where they have served include Korea, Malaya, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, various Pacific nations, Afghanistan and Iraq.