| Special Operations Command | |
|---|---|
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| Active | 2003–present |
| Country | Australia |
| Role | Special operations |
| Size | 2,050 (active in 2014)[1] 750 (reserve in 2014)[1] |
| Part of | Australian Defence Force |
| Headquarters location | General John Baker Complex,Bungendore[2] |
| Mottos | Acies Acuta (The Cutting Edge) |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander | Major GeneralGarth Gould |
TheSpecial Operations Command (SOCOMD) is anAustralian Defence Force command that was established on 5 May 2003 to unite all of theAustralian Army'sspecial forces units and by 2008 was fully operational.[3][4][5] Australia's Special Operations Command is of equivalent status to Australia'sFleet,Forces andAir Commands.[3] It is modelled on the equivalent commands in theUnited States andBritish military forces, and is led by amajor general as Special Operations Commander Australia (SOCAUST).
The origins of SOCOMD began in 1979 with the army creating a small Directorate Special Action Forces—Army. On 13 February 1990, Headquarters Special Forces was established, which was renamed in 1997 to Headquarters Special Operations and in 2003 to Special Operations Headquarters or SOCOMD.[5][6][7]
While Special Operations Command had not formally commenced operations at the time, it appears that the headquarters may have overseen the boarding of the North Korean freighter MVPong Su in April 2003, which involved elements of both theSpecial Air Service Regiment and4th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (Commando)Tactical Assault Groups.[9]
In November 2018, the 30thAsia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting held inPort Moresby inPapua New Guinea had Special Operations Command involvement to enhance thePapua New Guinea Defence Force's Incident Response Group to provide security as world leaders, includingScott Morrison,Mike Pence,Xi Jinping,Dmitry Medvedev and other government and economic leaders were in attendance.[10][11] The Incident Response Group had received extensive training to build its capabilities in preparation for the meeting from SOCOMD units and the New ZealandSpecial Operations Component Command.[12]
As of 2020, the Special Operations Command comprised the following units:[13]
The Special Operations Commander Australia (SOCAUST) is responsible for the peacetime 'raise, train and sustain' functions of Special Operations Command reporting to theChief of Army, while theChief of Joint Operations is responsible for the operational functions of Special Operations Command deployments.[7] The SOCAUST is responsible for the domesticcounter-terrorism deployments of Special Operations Command reporting directly to theChief of the Defence Force.[7]
The following have held the position of Special Operations Commander Australia, with the ranks and honours as at the completion of their tenure:
| Rank | Name | Post-nominals | Term began | Term ended | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Major General | Duncan Lewis | DSC, CSC | May 2002 | October 2004 | |
| Major General | Mike Hindmarsh | AO, CSC | October 2004 | February 2008 | |
| Major General | Tim McOwan | DSC, CSM | February 2008 | January 2011 | |
| Major General | Gus Gilmore | AO, DSC | January 2011 | September 2013 | |
| Brigadier | Daniel McDaniel | DSC, DSM | September 2013 | December 2014 | Acting[17] |
| Major General | Jeff Sengelman | DSC, AM, CSC | December 2014 | June 2017 | |
| Major General | Adam Findlay | AM | June 2017 | November 2020 | [18] |
| Major General | Paul Kenny | DSC, AM, DSM | November 2020 | 12 July 2024 | [19] |
| Major General | Garth Gould | CSC, DSM | 12 July 2024 | Incumbent | [20] |
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