Introduction

Commander Officers Greeting

Commanding Officer 11/28 RWAR

It is with great pride that I assumed the position of Commanding Officer of the 11/28th Battalion in January 2008. Both the 11th and the 28th Battalion in all their guises have been committed to maintaining and defending values of Australia throughout its relatively short history. The Battalions trace their linage prior to the twentieth century and have served with distinction within the Great War, Second World War and more recently within its Active Reserve role providing capable and competent individual reinforcements and deployable teams in support of the Australian Regular Army (ARA).

The 11/28th Battalion is an Active Reserve Unit that is comprised of a core of fulltime soldiers but the majority of the members are voluntary part time soldiers looking for both a challenge and wanting to serve the country.

Previously, as a deployable unit it had a proven record and in more recent years its Part Time members are maintaining the traditions set by the unit's forbearers. Our primary role is now to train and develop individual soldiers for support to operations as reinforcements to the regular Army, or for short term voluntary operational deployment. Consequently the training is focused at the individual level with my aspiration for the members to "do the basics brilliantly".

The training that our members undertake is of a very high standard and the unit is both well equipped and resourced. This enables our men to achieve the level of commitment that they desire in their part time career. It may be as a long term part time soldier, training to participate in support of local authorities or on voluntary deployments under the banner of the Land Command as they arise. We also have many soldiers who are driven to gain the competencies of their ARA peers with the intention of moving over to a fulltime career in the Army.

I am elated to have been given this opportunity to command a motivated and committed group of individuals. Those members continue to live up to the motto of the original 11th Battalion, Australian Imperial Forces.

"Deeds not Words".



LTCOL M. Drover. CSM
Commanding Officer