http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems...2/s1531994.htm

BATTALION RESTRUCTURE

A leading think-tank for Australian Defence Force (ADF) issues says Australia will be able to make larger overseas deployments through a plan to set up a second mechanised battalion.

Prime Minister John Howard and Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill have launched two reports on the future of Australia's security and the Army.

The Federal Government will spend $1.5 billion over the next decade to increase armaments and restructure the Army to carry out larger operations.

The modified Army structure will aim to produce a more mobile force with greater firepower that is able to stay longer in lethal situations.

The Federal Government says the second mechanised battalion will be operating by 2011.

It will be formed by moving moving the third battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, from Sydney to Adelaide and reforming 1,200 people from the parachute battalion.

MORE RECRUITING
Senator Hill says the ADF plan requires the recruitment of 1,500 new soldiers.

He says Reserves will be retrained to be effectively part of the front line.

Mr James says the recruitment target will be a challenge.

"We've got reasonably full-on employment and a reasonably buoyant economy and there's less young people around and the Defence Force is disproportionately made up of young people," he said.

"In a competitive economic environment, it's harder for the Defence Force to recruit, particularly when their conditions of service and salaries tend to lag behind community norms."



These are good signs for the Army. Things are on the up for the Australian army, with the AW destroyers, the new Abrams, the ARH Tigers etc etc etc we are rapidly becoming a better army, hopefully it will encourage more recruiting and a bigger budget slice.

They said larger overseas deployments. Does that mean the ADF will be deploying Complete Battalion Groups when all this restructure is complete.

Chances are yes they will, not just sub units.
The aim of changing 3 RAR to Mech just like 5/7 is so one can be overseas while the other is home... and really when was the last time 3 RAR jumped in combat. Korea to be precise.

They jumped during the Korean War? you learn something new every day.
They are trying to recruit more soldiers, the only way is to increase pay and increase deployments. Boredom and the lure of better money in other jobs are reasons for guys leaving or not enlisting. They have talked about raising another company in 4rar too - and I don't know of course but I would guess they are still understrength, and now they want more men but where will they get them. Pacific Islands... we should set up the Australian Foreign Legion! hahaha

Restructuring will achieve nothing if they don't get the numbers, but then they are trying to put Reservists into front line units. From what I was told that means a "shadow posting" so a regular battalion might have a section where 3 member are reservists who would be included in the section if it was deployed. Surely this can't be true!

Having 3rar move to SA is also a bit strange. NSW is the most populous state and should be able to man 2 battalions with ease, lots of guys from my reserve unit have gone over to 3rar; staying in Sydney being the key reason for choosing that battalion. Move it to SA and it becomes a much less attractive move. No offence to South Australia but when your wife works in Sydney, your home is in Sydney, family, friends life, you don't throw that away to go interstate. It would be interesting if individual infantry battalions recruited for their own needs; that would take the guess work out of where you are being posted, mates can even join up together and get into the same battalion.

Anyway enough whinging from me!

"We are the Pilgrims master, we shall go always a little further"

Whach the retention dramas in the 3RAR begin!!!!!
From specialist infantry to mech, already can hear the rumblings of discontent.
Posting to S.A????
My comiserations boys.

I suspect lots of digs in 3 will be nominating themselves for the SFET. Chance to stay in NSW, earn bit more and not be mech! The Mech part seems ok as it is more likely to be deployed than an airbourne unit. Can anyone tell me if the guys will also end up worse of financially? No more Parra allowance? That must be hard to stomach. But the minister is a SA boy, and it will be good for the SA economy so I really wonder what the motivation was to move.

Having 3rar move to SA is also a bit strange. NSW is the most populous state and should be able to man 2 battalions with ease, lots of guys from my reserve unit have gone over to 3rar; staying in Sydney being the key reason for choosing that battalion. Move it to SA and it becomes a much less attractive move. No offence to South Australia but when your wife works in Sydney, your home is in Sydney, family, friends life, you don't throw that away to go interstate.

It is a battalion from the "ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT" meaning that you don't just have blokes from NSW in 3RAR. That's like saying only Queenslanders are in 1,2 or 6 RAR. Or that WA provides all the SAS and NT provides all the digs to 5/7th RAR.

They take people from all over Australia and put them in the regiment.... so in all respects they could put it Woomera and it wouldn't matter. They'd still take fellas who join up and stick them there... even if they are privelaged enough to be from the mighty New South Wales

The Mech part seems ok as it is more likely to be deployed than an airbourne unit. Can anyone tell me if the guys will also end up worse of financially? No more Parra allowance? That must be hard to stomach. But the minister is a SA boy, and it will be good for the SA economy so I really wonder what the motivation was to move.

The motivation was to centralis mech battalions on the Darwin to Adelaide railway line, and give them immediate access to the Cultana range with 1 Armour, 5/7th and 2 Cav able to deploy to SA for joint training and vice-versa.

Also there is the ongoing moves to turn SA into the "Defence state". With the ASLAV plant, RAAF Edinburgh, ASC, 16AD, Raytheon, BAE, Air Warfare Destroyer production etc etc.

No offence to South Australia but when your wife works in Sydney, your home is in Sydney, family, friends life, you don't throw that away to go interstate.

And what about all the South Australians, especially those who are reserves at the moment because they have family etc in SA. Won't they join up 3RAR when they do the shift?.... just as the Sydney siders did for 3RAR when it was there. Man this whole Sydney supperiority complex pisses me off.

Hmmm. The RAAF has just spent a bucket load of money on updating the C130J's para capability including all the work on the HUPRA system etc.
Big waste if only the SAS and Commandos may/will be the only para units in the ADF. IE ocasional jumps etc.
Along with the upgrades to the E and H model hercs a lot of money has gone into a dead end area.
I hear that we are looking into getting C17s!!! Big birds finally.....

The gov rationale is that 3 RAR don't really ever jump in an operational sense, and en-mass battalion type para ops don't really happen anymore. However small level commando and SF type para missions are more the norm. So why have a battalion with an expensive skill they'll never use at war, and that injures so many good infantrymen during training.
Oh yeah C17s, c'mon. It'll be good to have some real heavy lift equipment.

More recruiting all sounds well and good, but don't drop the standards. We had some complete numpty's and people not suited to the army in my platoon. One guy shook like a leaf when we were being taught how to hold the F88. Another threatened to break both his legs to get out of training. Another said his GF was pregnant so he could get out, he was thrown in the cells when the investigation found it was all b******t.

One of corporals has done more than 10 years in 3RAR and only done 57 jumps.