Army Air Dispatch History . World War II . Australian Army . The first formalised British Commonwealth air dispatch capability dates from the New Guinea campaign of World War II . " As far as research has resolved , the first airdrops in the New Guinea campaign took place on the 28th of July 1942 at Efogi and Kagi during the withdrawal to Kokoda . In early 1943 Colonel T . G . Millner MC . Deputy Director of Supplies and Transport resolved that air supply was to be an Australian Army Service Corps ( AASC ) responsibility . " During the Campaign in New Guinea the 1st , 2nd and 3rd Air Maintenance Companies , " The Biscuit Bombers " , were formed from members of the Aust Army Service Corps and conducted aerial resupply operations in support of Australian and American Soldiers engaged in fighting Japanese forces . At the end of World War II the air dispatch units were disbanded . A small reserve contingent maintained the capability until reformation in 1960 . British Army . Air Despatch Companies were first formed within the British Army ' s Royal Army Service Corps in March 1944 . This was in preparation for the upcoming D day landings and subsequent re - invasion of the European Contintent . These companies saw extensive action in Operation Market Garden , the largest airborne operation of all time . Post World War II . Australian Army . October 1960 saw the raising and training of a Section of Regular Army Air Dispatchers , who formed a regular component of 39 Air Dispatch Platoon ( Reserve ) at Frenchmans Road Depot in Randwick , Sydney . In order to gain operational experience the Regular Army section of 39 AD Pl . was detached to 55 Company RASC ( AD ) in February 1961 for duty on the Malaya / Thailand Border . At that time duties of 55 Company RASC ( AD ) included the resupplying by air of the Commonwealth Brigade in their operations against the Communist Guerrillas . On returning to Australia the Regular Army Section carried out extensive parachute training plus logistic support force supply path finding duties . A second ( Regular ) Section was formed mid - 1961 and detached to 55 Company RASC ( AD ) for duties on the Malaya / Thailand Border from February to May 1962 . Both ARA sections were then sent to Singapore in May 1962 for international Exercise " Trumpeter " , this was followed by heavy drop training at the Far East School of Land / Air Warfare . On return from Singapore in July 1962 a Regular Platoon of half strength was formed ( 40 AD Platoon ) at Avoca Street Randwick using the 2 ARA Sections of 39 AD Pl . as the NCO base . By mid - 1963 the unit was at full strength with detachments for operational training to the Malaya / Thailand Border , Singapore and Ubon , Thailand . The formation of HQ 1 Army Air Supply Organisation ( HQ 1AASO ) in February 1964 saw the rapid expansion of units dedicated to providing Air Transport duties with HQ . 1 AASO Commanding two ARA Platoons ( 36 and 40 AD Platoons ) 36 AD Platoon . being newly formed , three CMF Platoons , namely 37 , 38 and 39 AD Platoons , plus five Air Supply Control Sections ( ASCS ) and an Air Maintenance PI manned by RAAOC personnel . At the same time a joint service ( Army / RAAF ) unit was raised at RAAF Base Richmond and designated the Air Movement Training and Development Unit ( AMTDU ) . In the 1960s all corps courses were run by this unit for Unit Movement / Enplaning Officers and Unit Air Loading Teams , when " Air Portability " was the catch cry of the times . During the period 1964 to 1965 with the Indonesian Confrontation on the Papua New Guinea border , AD Sections were positioned in PNG for Air Dispatch duties . By early 1966 1 AASO was fully trained in trade skills ( 70 percent parachute trained ) and Military skills so much so that 36 and 40 Pls . were used as Enemy for the final shake out exercise for 5 RAR in February to March 1966 , prior to departure for South Vietnam . It was at this point that the requirement for an AD Unit for South Vietnam was announced and the ARA units were paraded at Gospers Airfield to call for volunteers . Two Officers and 40 Other Ranks were selected to form Det 176 AD Company RAASC . Vietnam War . On the 12 May 1967 the unit was renamed 176 AD Company and was relocated from Vung Tau to Nui Dat , where it remained until the last Air Dispatcher returned to Australia on the 27 February 1972 . At this time , while 176 AD Company was the operational unit " in country " , the Australian based unit at Wallgrove , New South Wales was renamed 186 AD Company acting as support . Just after the Vietnam War , Air Dispatch in Australia underwent command structural changes in the form of renaming the 1st Army Air Supply Organisation to the 1st Air Transport Support Regiment . Post - Vietnam to the present day . The Royal Australian Corps of Transport ( RACT ) was formed on the 1 June 1973 from an amalgamation of several functions from the Royal Australian Army Service Corps ( which disbanded ) and the Royal Australian Engineers . One of the roles allocated to RACT was the Air Dispatch role . From the mid - 1970s until the mid - 1990s 1st Air Transport Support Regiment comprised two air dispatch squadrons : 176 AD Sqn ( ARA ) and 177 AD Sqn ( ARes ) . The Army Reserve squadron was disbanded in 1994 and reservists transferred to 176 AD Sqn . Also disbanded was 1 ATSR . 176 AD Squadron is now based at RAAF Base Richmond and is a sub - unit of the 9th Force Support Battalion . The Squadron includes a platoon of parachute rigger s in addition to the AD troops . The riggers are not members of the RACT , they are members of the RAAOC . In recent years elements of 176 AD Sqn have deployed to East Timor , the Solomon Islands , and the Middle East .