Peter Cosgrove was born
into an Army family in Sydney in 1947. After secondary schooling at
Waverley College he entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon in
1965, graduating in 1968 to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps. He
served initially with the 1st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment
(1RAR) in Malaysia before joining the Australian Reinforcement Unit at
Nui Dat in South Vietnam in August 1969. While in Vietnam he served
with 9RAR and as a platoon commander at HQ 1st Australian Task Force.
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General Cosgrove's
Badges & Medal bars explained.
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Army
Individual Readiness Notification badge. (right chest)
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Infantry
Combat badge (left chest above ribbons)
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AC
Companion of the Military Division of
the Order of Australia |
MC
Military Cross
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| Australian
Active Service Medal 1945/75 |
Vietnam
Medal |
Australian
Active Service Medal 1975 |
International
Force East Timor (INTERFET) Medal |
| Australian
Service Medal 1945/75 |
Australian
Centenary Medal |
Defence
Force Service Medal with four extra service clasps |
National
Medal |
| Vietnamese
Campaign Medal |
Companion:
New Zealand Order of Merit |
Commander:
US Legion of Merit |
Tong-il
medal from the Republic of Korea |
Not shown on the
ribbon bar but worn on the ribbons of the medals are the
following
- Australian Active
Service Medal 1945/75.
- Australian Active
Service Medal 1975..
- Australian Service
Medal 1945/75
- Defence Force Service
Medal
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Images of the
Medals and Orders (service medals not
included)
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Companion of the Military Division of
the Order of Australia |
Military
Cross
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- Companion New Zealand
Order of Merit
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- Commander US Legion of
Merit
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- Tong-il medal from the
Republic of Korea
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In his subsequent service he has
served with 5RAR and later as Adjutant 5/7RAR, and as Commanding
Officer 1RAR between 1983 and 1984. He also commanded the 6th Brigade
and the 1st Division at Enoggera in Brisbane.
General Cosgrove has commanded the
Methods of Instruction Team based at Ingleburn, NSW, instructed in
tactics at the Infantry Centre at Singleton, where he was also later
Commandant and Director of Infantry. He has been the Commandant of the
Australian Defence Warfare Centre at RAAF Williamtown, and also of the
Royal Military College Duntroon. He attended the United States Marine
Corps Staff College at Quantico, USA in 1978, and was the Australian
exchange instructor at the British Army Staff College, Camberly from
1984-1986. He has also attended the Australian Joint Services Staff
College and the Indian National Defence College.
He has served as a staff officer at
Headquarters Field Force Command in Sydney and at Army Headquarters in
Canberra. In 1972 he was Aide de Camp to the Governor General, Sir
Paul Hasluck, and in 1987 Military Assistant to the Chief of the
General Staff.
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- Then
Major General (now General) Peter Cosgrove motors across
Dili Harbour with HMAS Melbourne in the background. January
2000
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In 1999 as Commander of the
Deployable Joint Force Headquarters he assumed command of the
International Forces in East Timor (INTERFET) until the force was
withdrawn in February 2000. On his return to Australia he was
appointed Chief of Army and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant
General. In July 2002 he was promoted to the rank of General and
assumed the position of Chief of the Defence Force.
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- Chief of the Australian
Defence Force, General Peter Cosgrove talks with Regional
Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands soldiers and
Australian Federal Police at Turarana in the Goldridge
region of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. 18 August
2003
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For his service with INTERFET he was
advanced to Companion of Military Division the Order of Australia
(AC), having previously been a Member of the Order for his service as
Commanding Officer, 1RAR. He was awarded the Military Cross for his
service with 9RAR in South Vietnam, and has received several foreign
awards including the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, a
Commander of the United States Legion of Merit, the Tong-il medal from
the Republic of Korea, and the Grand Chain of Infante Dom Henrique
from Portugal. In 2001 he was the Australian of the Year.
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- Chief of Defence Force,
General Peter Cosgrove, autographs the brassard of Flight
Sergeant Kent Scott at a Middle Eastern Air Force base. 22
April 2003
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General Cosgrove and his wife Lynne
have three sons. He is a passionate rugby supporter, owns a set of
golf clubs and enjoys the occasional game of cricket. He reads and
listens to music for relaxation.
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