Forces Command
Active1 July 2009 – present
CountryAustralia
TypeAustralian Army
Part ofChief of Army
Garrison/HQVictoria Barracks, Sydney
Commanders
Current
commander
Major General Susan Coyle
Chief of the ArmyLieutenant General Simon Stuart

Forces Command (FORCOMD) is the largest command within the Australian Army responsible for the combat brigades, the enabling and training formations reporting to the Chief of the Army with approximately 85% of the Army's personnel.[1][2][3] The Command was formed on 1 July 2009 with the amalgamation of Land Command and Training Command,[4] and is led by a major general as the Commander Forces Command (COMD FORCOMD).

History

On 27 September 2008 the Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, announced a restructure of the army command structure named Adaptive Army.[5] The structure had remained nearly the same since the Hassett Review restructure in 1973 of Land Command and Training Command.[6]

In October 2022, the 9th Brigade was placed under the command of Forces Command.[7] In July 2023, the 1st, 3rd and 7th Brigades were placed under the command of the 1st (Australian) Division.[8] The Combat Training Centre and 39th Operational Support Battalion were placed under the command of Forces Command.[8]

Organisation

Forces Command organization 2023

Commander Forces Command

The following have held the position of Commander Forces Command or its preceding positions, with the ranks and honours as at the completion of their tenure:

RankNamePost-nominalsTerm beganTerm ended
Field Force Command
Major GeneralKenneth MackayCB, MBE19731974[12]
Major GeneralDonald DunstanCB, CBE19741977
Major GeneralMark BradburyAO, CBE19771979
Major GeneralJohn WilliamsonAO, OBE19791980
Major GeneralRon GreyAO, DSO19801983
Major GeneralJohn KellyAO, DSO19831984
Major GeneralLawrence O'DonnellAO19851986
Land Commander Australia
Major GeneralLawrence O'DonnellAO19861987
Major GeneralNeville SmethurstAO, MBE19871990
Major GeneralMurray BlakeAO, MC19901994
Major GeneralPeter ArnisonAO19941996
Major GeneralFrank HicklingAO, CSC19961998
Major GeneralJohn HartleyAO19982000
Major GeneralPeter CosgroveAC, MCMarch 2000July 2000
Major GeneralPeter AbigailAOJuly 2000December 2002
Major GeneralDavid HurleyAO, DSCDecember 2002December 2003
Major GeneralKen GillespieAO, DSC, CSMJanuary 2004July 2005
Major GeneralMark KellyAOJuly 2005December 2008
Major GeneralDavid MorrisonAMDecember 2008July 2009
Commander Forces Command
Major GeneralDavid MorrisonAOJuly 2009June 2011
Major GeneralJeffrey SengelmanDSC, AM, CSCJune 2011November 2011
Major GeneralMichael SlaterAO, DSC, CSCNovember 201123 January 2015
Major GeneralGus GilmoreAO, DSC23 January 2015December 2016
Major GeneralGus McLachlanAODecember 2016December 2018
Major GeneralGreg BiltonAM, CSCDecember 2018June 2019
Major GeneralChris FieldAM, CSCJune 2019February 2020
Major GeneralMatt PearseAMFebruary 2020November 2022
Major GeneralSusan CoyleAM, CSC, DSMNovember 2022

References

  1. "The Australian Army – Modernisation from Beersheba and Beyond" (PDF). Australian Army. 26 August 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  2. "Forces Command". Australian Army. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  3. "The Australian Army: An Aide-Memoire" (PDF). Australian Army. 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
  4. "May the force be with you – Merge of commands enhances capabilities" (PDF). Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper (1216 ed.). Canberra: Department of Defence. 9 July 2009. p. 2. ISSN 0729-5685. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  5. "Command restructure" (PDF). Army: The Soldiers' Newspaper (1197 ed.). Canberra: Department of Defence. 4 September 2008. ISSN 0729-5685. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  6. Gillespie, Lieutenant General K.J. (26 August 2008). Adaptive Army: Public information paper (PDF). Canberra: Australian Army. OCLC 682906519. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 March 2011.
  7. 1 2 "9th Brigade becomes the Australian Army's first integrated combat brigade". Department of Defence (Press release). 27 October 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Commands, divisions adjusted". Army: The soldiers' newspaper (1539 ed.). Canberra: Department of Defence. 20 July 2023. p. 2. ISSN 2209-2218. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  9. Gaze, Jillian (18 March 2010). "Key to Adaptability". Canberra: Australian Department of Defence. Australian Army. p. 5. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  10. "17th Combat Service Support Brigade". Australian Army. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  11. "Royal Military College of Australia". Australian Army. 18 April 2012. Archived from the original on 28 May 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  12. Gillespie, Ken (2004). "Major General Kenneth Mackay, CB, MBE (1917–2004)". Australian Army Journal. 2 (1): 247–249.
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