7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
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| 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment | |
|---|---|
 Badge of the Royal Australian Regiment |
|
| Active | 1965-1973 2008- |
| Country | Australia |
| Branch | Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Mechanised Infantry (From 2008) |
| Garrison/HQ | Adelaide (From 2008) |
| Nickname | The Pigs Porky Seven |
| Motto | Duty First |
| Colors | Maroon |
| March | Quick - Australaise (band); Cock o' the North (pipes and drums) Slow - My Home |
| Mascot | Pig (unofficial) |
| Commanders | |
| Colonel-in-Chief | HM The Queen (Royal Australian Infantry Corps) |
| Insignia | |
| Unit Colour Patch |  |
| Tartan | Australian (pipes and drums) |
The 7th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (7 RAR) was a regular infantry battalion of the Australian Army. The battalion was formed in September 1965 at Puckapunyal in Victoria during the expansion of the regular infantry that occured because of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War. The battalion served two operational tours in Vietnam between 1967 and 1971, with 33 men killed and 220 wounded, receiving 31 awards for gallantry.
In 1973, with the draw down following Australia's withdrawl from Vietnam, the 7th Battalion was amalgamated with the 5th Battalion to form 5/7 RAR.
In 2006, John Howard announced that there would be an expansion of the Australian regular infantry by two battalions, as part of the Hardened and Networked Army proposal. As part of this, a second mechanised infantry battalion will be raised (currently 5/7 RAR is Australia's sole mechanised infantry unit). To achieve this, the 5th/7th Battalion will be de-amalgamated into the 5th Battalion and 7th Battalion, with both in the mechanised role. The 7th Battalion will be stationed in Adelaide.
[edit] External links
| Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment |
| Current Battalions
1 RAR | 2 RAR | 3 RAR | 4 RAR | 5/7 RAR | 6 RAR |
