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The 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) is an Australian Parachute battalion based in Sydney . 3 RAR was initially formed in 1945 as the Australian 67th Battalion and has seen active service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam and East Timor. 3 RAR will convert to a Mechanised Infantry battalion and relocate to Adelaide by 2011 . HISTORY Formation 3 RAR was initially formed on 20 October 1945 as the 67th Battalion. The Battalion was intended for occupation duties in Japan and was formed from volunteers from the 3rd, 6th, 7th and 11th Australian Divisions. The battalion was redesignated the 3rd Battalion of the Australian Regiment upon the Regiment's formation in November 1948. The 'Royal' prefix was appended in March 1949. The 67th Battalion arrived in Japan as part of the Australian 34th Brigade in February 1946. As with the rest of the occupation force, the Battalion did not encounter any significant resistance or civil unrest. The Australian force in Japan was gradually downsized, with 3 RAR being the only Australian battalion left in the country at the outbreak of the Korean War . Korea 3 RAR was rapidly committed as Australia's main land force contribution to the United Nations forces in the Korean War. After a period of intensive training and reinforcement in Japan, the battalion arrived in South Korea in late September 1950. The battalion formed part of the 27th Commonwealth Brigade and took part in the United Nations offensive into North Korea and the subsequent retreat into South Korea following the Chinese offensive in the winter of 1950-51. It was one of three units to receive the Presidential Unit Citation (US) after the Battle Of Kapyong . Malaya South Vietnam 3 RAR served 2 tours in Vietnam , the first 1967 to 1968 saw the battalion stationed in Phuoc Tuy Province . The battalion took part in several operations and was involved in mine clearing, counter mortar and rocket tasks and reconnaissance in force operations. During 26 and 28 May 1968 , 3 RAR, while stationed at FSPB Balmoral in a battalion defensive position, withstood two determined assaults by regimental sized units of the North Vietnamese Army . In 1971 the battalion returned to Phuoc Tuy Province. During the second tour the battalion took part in several minor actions. The battalion returned home by the end of 1971. East Timor 3 RAR played a key role in the Australian-lead Intervention into East Timor in 1999. The Battalion arrived in Dili by sea and was initially responsible for the city. The battalion later secured the enclave of Oecussi . 3 RAR returned to Australian in February 2000 and served a second 6-month tour of East Timor in 2002. Iraq 3 RAR was brought into the Australian media as it contained the First Australian Soldier to be killed in Iraq, Private Kovco. CURRENT COMPOSITION 3 RAR currently consists of:
3 RAR forms the main element of the Australian Army's Airborne Battle Group. This battle group consists of:
Under the 'Hardened and Networked Army' initiative announced in December 2005, 3 RAR will convert to a Mechanised structure identical to that currently used by 5/7 RAR . In this new structure 3 RAR will operate M113 armoured personnel carriers and Bushmaster infantry mobility vehicles. ROLE 3 RAR is currently Australia's only parachute infantry battalion. With the rest of the Parachute Battalion Group the battalion is responsible for providing a rapid reaction capability. One company from the battalion is maintained on high readiness to deploy at 48 hours notice. In addition to its specialised parachute role, 3 RAR is also capable of operating as a conventional Light Infantry battalion. REFERENCES
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