4th Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment The 4th Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment , ( 4RAR ) was an Australian Army infantry battalion and part of the Royal Australian Regiment . The battalion was formed on 1 February 1964 and was renamed the 2nd Commando Regiment on 19 June 2009 . History . The raising of a regular battalion . On 18 January 1952 , a Royal Australian Regiment Depot was raised as a training unit for special establishment on the Order of Battle . The depot was later renamed 4 RAR on 10 March 1952 . This renaming was necessary because government approval had been given to raise a battalion and not a ' Depot ' . The primary function of 4 RAR at the time was to train and hold infantrymen for service in Korea . On 24 March 1960 , the unit was incorporated into the School of Infantry as ' Depot Company , Royal Australian Regiment ' . The two units comprised resulted in the formation of the Infantry Centre . The political decision to raise the fourth battalion of The Royal Australian Regiment was made in 1963 . Consequently , instructions for the raising of the battalion were issued on 13 January 1964 . The official raising of 4 RAR on 1 February 1964 was the first time a regular infantry battalion had been raised on Australian soil . Additionally , it was stated that this battalion was a new battalion and not a resurrection of the old 4 RAR . The battalion subsequently served in Malaysia as part of the Far East Strategic Reserve from August 1965 – September 1967 , and seeing active service in Borneo against the Indonesian army during the Indonesia - Malaysia confrontation . After a period of training the battalion deployed to Sarawak in April 1966 where it was to operate from four company bases in the Bau area . By this time the war was winding down as peace negotiations had begun between Malaysia and Indonesia . Like 3 RAR , 4 RAR conducted cross - border operations and clashed with Indonesian forces on a number of occasions . Its tour was less eventful , however , and the battalion primarily operated in Malaysian territory where it ambushed tracks leading from the border with Indonesia . Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to a peace treaty on 11 August and 4 RAR and the other Commonwealth units in Borneo ceased operations the next day . The battalion returned to Camp Terendak on 30 August having suffered five fatalities in Borneo , though only one man had been killed in action . Upon its return to Australia in 1967 the battalion began training for service during the Vietnam War . Vietnam War . The battalion began its first tour of Vietnam on 1 June 1968 , relieving 2RAR . Based at Nui Dat , in Phuoc Tuy Province it was joined by Victor and Whisky companies from the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment ( RNZIR ) on 2 June , and was formally renamed 4RAR / NZ ( ANZAC ) Battalion . From 23 June the battalion took part in Operation Toan Thang II on the Bien Hoa - Long Binh border , before conducting patrols through Phuoc Tuy . It was subsequently conducting patrols , ambushes , and searches along the Long Khanh - Bien Hoa border from 15 September in an attempt to disrupt Viet Cong activity and deny them access to supplies as part of Operation Hawkesbury . 4RAR / NZ returned to Nui Dat on 24 September . 4RAR / NZ returned to the Long Khanh - Bien Hoa border as part of Operation Goodwood on 27 December , in response to increased in Viet Cong activity that suggested a communist offensive was being planned . The battalion was given a brief respite at Nui Dat from 13 January to 7 February , before taking part in Operation Federal in the Bien Hoa province . Operation Overlander commenced in the Bien Hoa province on 8 April , before the battalion again returned to Phuoc Tuy on 17 April . It was subsequently replaced by 6RAR on 1 May and departed for Australia on 19 May . Total casualties during the deployment included 19 killed and 97 wounded . 4RAR subsequently underwent a period of further training in Australia , and subsequently returned to Vietnam for its second tour in May 1971 , again relieving 2RAR . Continuing the pacification program that that 1ATF had adopted in Phuoc Tuy in April 1969 , 4RAR / NZ engaged in operations designed at seeking out and destroying the Viet Cong in their base areas , preventing their access to the civilian population , and in helping to create a security for the South Vietnamese . However with the Australian commitment to Vietnam reducing , intelligence reports had indicated the presence of North Vietnamese Army ( NVA ) troops in northern Phuoc Tuy , and the final battles fought by Australians in Vietnam began following the launch of Operation Ivanhoe ( 18 September – 2 October 1971 ) . The battalion became involved in intense fighting and although it sustained heavy casualties during these engagements , it successfully hindered communist attempts to move south . Its final involvement came during the Battle of Nui Le on 21 September 1971 . The battalion ' s tour was cut short by the Australian withdrawal , however , and it ultimately completed only eight months of its designated twelve - month tour . The last Australian battalion to leave Vietnam , the majority of 4RAR / NZ withdrew from Nui Dat to Vung Tau on 7 November 1971 , before departing for Australia on 8 December . Casualties included 9 killed and 46 wounded . ' D ' Company , 4RAR , remained behind until 12 March 1972 in order to provide security to rear details . Post Vietnam . With the reorganisation of the Army during 1973 due to the cessation of National Service , 2 RAR and 4 RAR were linked on 15 August 1973 , to form 2nd / 4th Battalion , Royal Australian Regiment ( 2 / 4 RAR ) . 2 / 4 RAR was charged with the task of preserving the traditions , associations , museums and proprietorship of the two original battalions from which it was formed until such time as the linking was annulled . Because of this , all ranks of 2 / 4 RAR were aware of the history of both 2 RAR and 4 RAR and jealously preserved these traditions , whilst working hard to establish a distinctive image for their battalion . Between 1977 and 1979 2 / 4 RAR concentrated on conventional warfare including night and mounted operations . On 1 July 1980 , the unit was re - organised on light scales and trained as part of the Operational Deployment Force ( ODF ) in close country and conventional warfare operations . On 1 February 1982 , with the official replacement of the title ' Task Force ' with ' Brigade ' , 2 / 4 RAR became a unit of the 3rd Brigade , 1st Division . The battalion was placed on operational readiness in 1987 and 1990 . On each occasion the battalion was prepared to evacuate Australian citizens from Pacific region countries experiencing civil disturbance . From 1990 to 1993 many individual soldiers from the battalion served with the United Nations in Cambodia . In 1993 , 52 soldiers from the battalion were detached to 1RAR for operational service in Somalia as part of Operation Solace . In May 1993 , 2 / 4 RAR was tasked to provide a Rifle Platoon for Operation Gemini in Cambodia . 12 Platoon Delta Company , deployed to Cambodia tasked with providing local security for Australian Army helicopters that was also deployed as part of the relief mission . It was during the battalion ' s deployment to Rwanda on Operation Tamar in 1994 , that the government made the decision to unlink the 2nd / 4th Battalion . This was a result of the 1994 Defence White Paper that identified the need for an additional infantry battalion to enhance the Army ' s capability to meet strategic guidance requirements . The 2nd / 4th Battalion was unlinked by the Chief of the General Staff , Lieutenant General John Grey , on a parade at Samichon Lines , Lavarack Barracks , Townsville at 1500 hrs on 1 February 1995 . Upon re - establishment , 4RAR was based at Holsworthy , in New South Wales . From infantry battalion to special forces . In 1996 , a decision was made to convert 4RAR to a Special Forces unit . On 1 February 1997 was renamed to 4 RAR ( Commando ) . Regular serving members were given the opportunity to undertake special forces training provided mainly by 1st Commando Regiment or elect a posting to a conventional forces unit . General Reserve positions existed in the new structure and reserve members discharged or posted to GRes units . The initial years were busy creating a structure and recruiting members suitable for commando training . Bravo Company was raised first followed by Charlie Company in 1999 , both taking 24 months to reach full maturity . The pace of battalion life during these development years was hectic with capability development , equipment acquisition and training , focussing every member ' s attention . The unit conducted operations in East Timor and Iraq , and later lost members in Afghanistan . It has also been awarded citations for bravery and the meritorious unit citation . On 19 June 2009 the battalion was renamed the 2nd Commando Regiment . At that time , 4 RAR remained on the order of battle , with its colours and traditions maintained and protected , ready to be re - raised as a regular infantry battalion in the future if required .