2nd Cavalry Regiment ( Australia ) The 2nd Cavalry Regiment ( 2 CAV ) is a cavalry regiment of the Australian Army . The second most senior regiment in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps , 2 CAV serves in an armoured reconnaissance role and is attached to the 1st Brigade , based in Darwin in the Northern Territory . History . The regiment was formed in 1965 as 1st Cavalry Regiment through the regimentation of regular squadrons in Citizens Military Force regiments : These two squadrons initially had no Regimental Headquarters or HQ Squadron . However , with reorganisation of the RAAC came both an RHQ and a new name . RHQ and HQ Sqn formed at Gallipoli Lines , Holsworthy on 20 November 1970 . In order to avoid confusion , it was decided that the armoured regiments of the regular army would be numbered sequentially ; 1st Armoured Regiment was the most senior , so 1st Cavalry was renamed 2nd Cavalry Regiment . When first formed , the regiment consisted of a reconnaissance squadron and an armoured personnel carrier squadron . This continued until 1976 , when the Royal Australian Regiment took on a mechanised role , leaving 2nd Cavalry Regiment to concentrate on the reconnaissance role . By 1996 , ' C ' Squadron was raised . All three squadrons were equipped with the M113 vehicle in the reconnaissance role until the mid - 1990s , with the regiment being re - equipped with the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle ( ASLAV ) between 1995 and 1997 . Among the specialised equipment used in reconnaissance by the regiment is the Australian Man - portable Surveillance and Target Acquisition Radar ( AMSTAR ) system which is able to detect and recognise moving targets including personnel , vehicles , watercraft and low flying helicopters . AMSTAR has a target detection and classification capability at ranges up to 35 , 000 metres . Although the system can be moved by a few personnel it is commonly mounted on the ASLAV - S s . A ruggedised laptop is used for data processing in conjunction with an aural indicator . Since being re - equipped with the ASLAV the 2nd Cavalry Regiment has played a key role in Australian military operations . In 1999 , ' C ' Squadron deployed to East Timor as part of the initial Australian contribution to INTERFET , with the ASLAVs providing the Australian force with the majority of its mobility and armoured support during the early days of the intervention . Detachments from the regiment supported all subsequent Australian troop deployments to East Timor . More recently , 2nd Cavalry Regiment has deployed its ASLAVs to Iraq in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion . The regiment ' s initial role was to provide armoured transport for Australian diplomats and military personnel based in Baghdad and northern Iraq . The regiment has also formed a key element of the Al Muthanna Task Group , with the Regimental Headquarters commanding the initial rotation and a squadron from the Regiment forming part of the first two rotations of Task Group elements . Current composition . Currently the regiment is made up of : Each of the three Sabre Squadrons is equipped with 26 ASLAVs , while the Support Squadron provides the combat service support to the regiment . Traditions . Regimental Badge . The regiment ' s badge is an Australian Wedge - tailed Eagle swooping , with a lance and a banner bearing the word " courage " in its talons . This came about soon after the regiment ' s formation , when a competition was held to design an appropriate badge . A bird - of - prey was decided upon due to the regiment ' s reconnaissance role . The Wedge Tailed Eagle was chosen due to its " keenness of sight and ability to roam over large distances " . The badge was awarded in 1967 . Within the regiment , the badge is known as " the chook on a stick " ; chook being colloquial Australian for a chicken . Guidon . The regiment ' s first Guidon was presented in 1972 , when ' A ' Sqn , 3 Cav Regt was transferred to 2 Cav Regt . This was lost when the Officers Mess was destroyed by fire in 1990 . A new Guidon was presented the same year . Mascot . The regiment ' s mascot is a Wedge - tailed Eagle named " Courage " . Since its formation , there have been two : Battle honours . The 2nd Cavalry Regiment holds the following battle honour s , which it inherited from the 2 / 6th Cavalry ( Commando ) Regiment :