page_title: 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
section_title: Parachute role, 1983–2011
hierarchical_section_title: 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment / History / Parachute role, 1983–2011
caption_attribution_description: English: Australian Army Soldiers, 3rd Royal Australian Regiment, conduct a dawn static line parachute jump from a C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft over the Shoalwater Bay Training Area (SWBTA) in Rockhampton, Australia as part of exercise TALISMAN SABRE 2005. TALISMAN SABRE is an exercise jointly sponsored by the US Pacific Command (USPACOM) and Australian Defense Force Joint Operations Command, and designed to train the US 7th Fleet Commander's staff and Australian Joint Operations staff as a designated Combined Task Force (CTF) headquarters. The exercise focuses on crisis action planning and execution of contingency response operations. USPACOM units and Australian forces will conduct land, sea and air training throughout the training area. More than 11,000 US and 6,000 Australian personnel will participate.
context_page_description: The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Townsville as part of the 3rd Brigade. 3 RAR was initially formed in 1945 as the 67th Battalion and has seen active service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq.
context_section_description: A move to Holsworthy Barracks, Sydney, contemplated since returning from operations in South Vietnam, was conducted at the end of 1981. On 1 December 1983, the battalion assumed responsibility for the Australian Army's conventional parachute capability (previously, D Company 6 RAR had maintained an airborne company). In 1985, the battalion was granted permission to wear the dull Cherry beret, common to all parachute units worldwide, and to wear parachute wings identical to those worn by the 1st Australian Parachute Battalion during the Second World War.
  From 1989, 3 RAR formed the main combat elements of the Parachute Battalion Group, which also included an engineer troop from 1st Field Squadron, signals detachment from 104th Signal Squadron, artillery fire support from 'A' Field Battery, 8th/12th Regiment and medical support from the 1st Parachute Surgical Team. One of three rifle companies was designated as the Parachute Company Group and maintained at high readiness for three months with another company rotated into the role. The regiment's Reconnaissance Platoon had a medium range pathfinder role trained in free-fall parachuting, including High Altitude Parachute Operations (HAPO), supported by the Special Air Service Regiment in a long range pathfinder role.
  The 1st Parachute Surgical Team was raised in January 1989 to provide Level II and limited Level III medical support modelled on a British unit from the Falklands War. In 1995, 105-mm L119 Hamel guns were air dropped for the first time for 'A' Field Battery.
caption: Soldiers from 3 RAR conducting a parachute jump from a C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft in 2005
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