Forces Command (Australia)

Single command for all land functions within the Australian Defence Force

Forces Command

Active| 1 July 2009 – present
Country| Australia
Type| Australian Army
Part of| Chief of Army
Garrison/HQ| Victoria Barracks, Sydney
Commanders
Current
commander| Brigadier Nathan Juchniewicz
(Acting)
Chief of the Army| Lieutenant General Simon Stuart

Military unit

Forces Command (FORCOMD) is the largest command within the Australian Army responsible for the combat brigades, the enabling and training formations reporting to the Chief of the Army with approximately 85% of the Army's personnel.[1][2][3] The Command was formed on 1 July 2009 with the amalgamation of Land Command and Training Command,[4] and is led by a major general as the Commander Forces Command (COMD FORCOMD).

## History

[edit]

On 27 September 2008 the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, announced a restructure of the army command structure named Adaptive Army.[5] The structure had remained nearly the same since the Hassett Review restructure in 1973 of Land Command and Training Command.[6]

In October 2022, the 9th Brigade was placed under the command of Forces Command.[7] In July 2023, the 1st, 3rd and 7th Brigades were placed under the command of the 1st (Australian) Division.[8] The Combat Training Centre and 39th Operational Support Battalion were placed under the command of Forces Command.[8]

## Organisation

[edit]

Main article: Structure of the Australian Army

Forces Command organization 2023

* Headquarters, Forces Command (Victoria Barracks, New South Wales)
* 2nd Health Brigade
* 6th Combat Support Brigade[9]
* 9th Brigade[7]
* 17th Sustainment Brigade[10]
* 39th Operational Support Battalion (Randwick Barracks, NSW)[8]
* Royal Military College of Australia (Duntroon Garrison, ACT)[11]
* Army Logistic Training Centre (Bandiana, Vic)
* Defence Command Support Training Centre
* Combat Training Centre[8]
* Combined Arms Training Centre (Puckapunyal, Vic)

## Commander Forces Command

[edit]

The following have held the position of Commander Forces Command or its preceding positions, with the ranks and honours as at the completion of their tenure:

Rank | Name | Post-nominals | Term began | Term ended

|
|
|
|

Field Force Command
Major General | Kenneth Mackay | CB, MBE | 1973 | 1974[12]
Major General | Donald Dunstan | CB, CBE | 1974 | 1977
Major General | Mark Bradbury | AO, CBE | 1977 | 1979
Major General | John Williamson | AO, OBE | 1979 | 1980
Major General | Ron Grey | AO, DSO | 1980 | 1983
Major General | John Kelly | AO, DSO | 1983 | 1984
Major General | Lawrence O'Donnell | AO | 1985 | 1986
Land Commander Australia
Major General | Lawrence O'Donnell | AO | 1986 | 1987
Major General | Neville Smethurst | AO, MBE | 1987 | 1990
Major General | Murray Blake | AO, MC | 1990 | 1994
Major General | Peter Arnison | AO | 1994 | 1996
Major General | Frank Hickling | AO, CSC | 1996 | 1998
Major General | John Hartley | AO | 1998 | 2000
Major General | Peter Cosgrove | AC, MC | March 2000 | July 2000
Major General | Peter Abigail | AO | July 2000 | December 2002
Major General | David Hurley | AO, DSC | December 2002 | December 2003
Major General | Ken Gillespie | AO, DSC, CSM | January 2004 | July 2005
Major General | Mark Kelly | AO | July 2005 | December 2008
Major General | David Morrison | AM | December 2008 | July 2009
Commander Forces Command
Major General | David Morrison | AO | July 2009 | June 2011
Major General | Jeffrey Sengelman | DSC, AM, CSC | June 2011 | November 2011
Major General | Michael Slater | AO, DSC, CSC | November 2011 | 23 January 2015
Major General | Gus Gilmore | AO, DSC | 23 January 2015 | December 2016
Major General | Gus McLachlan | AO | December 2016 | December 2018
Major General | Greg Bilton | AM, CSC | December 2018 | June 2019
Major General | Chris Field | AM, CSC | June 2019 | February 2020
Major General | Matt Pearse | AM | February 2020 | November 2022
Major General | Susan Coyle | AM, CSC, DSM | November 2022 | 30 June 2024
Brigadier | Nathan Juchniewicz
(Acting) | DSC & Bar, CSC | 30 June 2024 | Incumbent

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Australian Army – Modernisation from Beersheba and Beyond" (PDF). Australian Army. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
2. ^ "Forces Command". Australian Army. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
3. ^ "The Australian Army: An Aide-Memoire" (PDF). Australian Army. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
4. ^ "May the force be with you – Merge of commands enhances capabilities" (PDF). Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper (1216 ed.). Canberra: Department of Defence. 9 July 2009. p. 2\. ISSN 0729-5685. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
5. ^ "Command restructure" (PDF). Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper (1197 ed.). Canberra: Department of Defence. 4 September 2008. ISSN 0729-5685. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
6. ^ Gillespie, Lieutenant General K.J. (26 August 2008). Adaptive Army: Public information paper (PDF). Canberra: Australian Army. OCLC 682906519. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2011.
7. ^ a b "9th Brigade becomes the Australian Army's first integrated combat brigade". Department of Defence (Press release). 27 October 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
8. ^ a b c d "Commands, divisions adjusted". Army: The soldiers' newspaper (1539 ed.). Canberra: Department of Defence. 20 July 2023. p. 2\. ISSN 2209-2218. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
9. ^ Gaze, Jillian (18 March 2010). "Key to Adaptability". Canberra: Australian Department of Defence. Australian Army. p. 5. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
10. ^ "17th Combat Service Support Brigade". Australian Army. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
11. ^ "Royal Military College of Australia". Australian Army. 18 April 2012. Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
12. ^ Gillespie, Ken (2004). "Major General Kenneth Mackay, CB, MBE (1917–2004)". Australian Army Journal. 2 (1): 247–249.

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