2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
The 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (2 RAR) is an amphibious light infantry battalion of the Australian Army part of the 1st Division Amphibious Task Group based at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville.
| 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment | |
|---|---|
| Active | 16 October 1945 – 15 August 1973 1 February 1995 – present |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Australian Army |
| Type | Amphibious light infantry |
| Size | 350 |
| Part of | 1st Division |
| Garrison/HQ | Townsville |
| Nickname(s) | Boys in Black Second to None |
| Motto(s) | Duty First |
| March | Ringo (Band) Back in Black (Pipes and Drums) |
| Engagements | Korean War
Malayan Emergency
|
| Decorations | Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (South Vietnam) |
| Insignia | |
| Unit colour patch | |
| Tartan | Australian (Pipers kilts and plaids) |
2 RAR was initially formed as the Australian 66th Battalion in 1945 as part of the 34th Brigade (Australia) and since then it has seen active service during the Korean War, Malayan Emergency and Vietnam War. In addition, the battalion has participated in peacekeeping operations in Japan, Rwanda, East Timor and the Solomon Islands and has contributed rifle companies to the security force protecting the Australian embassy in Baghdad following the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In May 2006, 2 RAR's headquarters, support company and a rifle company deployed to Iraq as part of the third rotation of the Al Muthanna Task Group. In June 2011, the battalion deployed to Urozgan Province, Afghanistan as Mentoring Task Force Three (MTF3). In 2011, 2 RAR was selected to be the Army's Amphibious Ready Element Landing Force embarked on the Navy's new Canberra-class amphibious assault ships. The conversion process was completed in October 2017.