FOREWORD BY CO: LIEUTENANT COLONEL RHOGAN AITKEN

Welcome to the 16th Battalion website. As a light infantry battalion, our mission is to train and sustain light infantry, in order to provide specified forces for deployment on operations.

This is a great time to be in the Army Reserve - the challenges facing the professional part time soldier have never been greater. The increasing operational tempo within the ADF has seen increased demands placed on the ARes that continue to grow into the foreseeable future.

We're meeting those challenges - with them come great opportunities for the men and women of our battalion. Fundamental to our success is our ability to recruit, train, develop and retain first class officers and soldiers. My command group is committed to ensuring our people are inculcated with our culture, one centred on readiness, professionalism and an adaptive approach to solving complex problems.

Our soldiers are trained in many skills including navigation, first aid, weapon handling, communications, the use of night vision equipment and military tactics. The training and experience they receive develops their personal confidence, management skills and physical fitness and provides them with advanced leadership skills and abilities.

Possessing a unique combination of civilian and military skills, our reservists continue to volunteer and deploy to support operations and exercises in the Solomon Islands, East Timor, Malaysia and Afghanistan. Volunteers have also deployed on coastal security and naval boarding party tasks in the Timor Sea.

Last year, we deployed on an overseas rotation to Malaysia and this year we have a significant component of our members in the Soloman Islands. Our Reserve Response Force members have also deployed at short notice to Operation Vic Fires Assist to support search efforts after the Victorian bushfires and will conduct search and security operations for this year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in October this year.

16th Battalion is well placed to continue to play an integral part in contributing to Army capability. It's a privilege to command this outstanding Battalion and to share an insight into our unit via this website.