page_title: Australian commandos
section_title: Post-Second World War
hierarchical_section_title: Australian commandos / History / Post-Second World War
caption_attribution_description: English: Details: SHOALWATER BAY TRAINING AREA, Australia, May 15, 2001 -- Soldiers from the 1st Commando Company, Sydney, Australia, parachute with their inflatable boats from an RAAF C-130H into Shoalwater Bay. This will be the beginning of four days of joint field training with the U.S. Army.
context_page_description: The name commando has been applied to a variety of Australian special forces and light infantry units that have been formed since 1941–42. The first Australian "commando" units were formed during the Second World War, where they mainly performed reconnaissance and long-range patrol roles during Australia's campaigns in New Guinea and Borneo, although other units such as M and Z Special Units performed more clandestine roles. These units were disbanded following the end of the war; however, in the 1950s it was realised that there was a need for such units again in the Australian forces. Today, the Australian Army possesses a number of units that perform more conventional direct-action type commando roles, as well as counter-terrorism response, long-range patrolling, and clandestine deep-penetration operations.
context_section_description: After the war, the existing commando units were disbanded as the focus of Australian defence planning returned to the old concept of supplying troops under Commonwealth defence arrangements.
  In 1955, following a liaison visit to Malaya by Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Wells, the need to preserve the skills possessed by the Second World War units was realised as it became clearer that there was a role for Australian special forces within the Southeast Asian region. However, financial constraints and possibly an institutional phobia of "special forces" limited the commitment that the Australian Army could make to the concept, and consequently, it was decided that any such units raised would have to be drawn from the Citizens Military Force (CMF), as the army reserve was known at the time. As a result, two CMF Commando companies were raised: 2 Commando Company (2 Cdo Coy) in February 1955, based in Melbourne, and 1 Commando Company (1 Cdo Coy) in July 1955, based in Sydney. These units drew their heritage from the commando units raised during the Second World War, and a number of their senior cadre staff had served in these units.
  Some members of these companies went on to assist and/or join the new Special Air Service Regiment (SASR), when it was raised, from 1957. However, the commando units retained a separate identity, with an emphasis on raiding and larger offensive operations, rather than the special reconnaissance and "surgical strike" role that  was the classic function of SAS units.
  In February 1981, it was decided to unite the two commando companies under a single headquarters unit. As a result, 1 Commando Regiment (1 Cdo Regt) was formed at Randwick, New South Wales to oversee the two reserve companies, although 2 Coy remained in Melbourne. In addition, 126 Signal Squadron (Special Forces), based in Melbourne, was incorporated to provide long-range communications support.
  A regular light infantry unit, 4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (4 RAR) was converted into a commando role in 1996, in order to provide a full-time commando capability within the regular army. 126 Signal Squadron was incorporated to provide signal support (301 Signal Squadron was re-raised to refill the role within the 1st Commando Regiment). Subsequently, 4 RAR was renamed 4 RAR (Cdo) until 19 June 2009, when it was again renamed, becoming 2nd Commando Regiment (2 Cdo Regt). This unit is largely used in the traditional commando role, and is heavily involved in  combat operations in Afghanistan.
  2 Cdo Regt also has a counter-terrorism function within Australia, providing members to the Tactical Assault Group – East (TAGEAST), to perform the same role on the eastern seaboard that the SASR provides on the western seaboard. In May 2003, Special Operations Command (Australia) was established as the administrative and operational headquarters for all of Australia's special forces and commando units.
caption: Soldiers from the 1st Commando Company parachute with their inflatable boats from an RAAF C-130H into Shoalwater Bay
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