The ceremonial parade on October 10 for the re-raising of the 10th Light Horse Regiment in Western Australia also heralded a major increase in Army's presence in the state.
Chief of Army Lieutenant General Rick Burr said the re-raising of the 10th Light Horse's regimental status within the Western Australia-based 13th Brigade represented a strengthening of Army's presence in Western Australia.
"Reinforcing our presence in Western Australia will ensure that we able to support the crisis response and security demands of Australia's relatively unpopulated north-western and western borders," Lieutenant General Burr said.
"This posture will be further reinforced as Army grows its littoral manoeuvre and engineering capability that is resident in the 13th Brigade."
Lieutenant General Burr said the re-raising of the unit provided Western Australians more opportunities to serve their nation in both full-time and part-time capacities.
"Army is bolstering its Western Australia recruiting and training to support this approach," he said.
"We have begun trials to allow soldiers and officers recruited in Perth to conduct initial training in their home state."
The parade held for the re-raising of the 10th Light Horse Regiment in Perth also celebrated the 107th anniversary of the raising of the regiment in 1914.
More than 100 soldiers took part in the historic ceremony in front of dignitaries, including the Governor of Western Australia Kim Beazley and the Assistant Minister for Defence Andrew Hastie.
Initially raised as the Western Australian Mounted Infantry, the 10th Light Horse Regiment's lineage can be further traced back to the period of the colonial militia of Western Australia, with its battle honours including South Africa (Boer War), and the Wold War I honours of Gallipoli, Gaza-Beersheba, Megiddo and Damascus.
Following the dis-establishment of the Regimental Headquarters (RHQ) and B Squadron in 1976, A Squadron remained the only active sub-unit.
In December 2020, the Army Force Structure Implementation Plan was released, directing the transformation of the 13th Brigade, among other objectives.
As part of that, the Chief of Army prioritised re-raising 10th Light Horse RHQ and establishing B Squadron by the end of 2023.
The regiment's newly appointed Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Wright said the re-raising of the 10th Light Horse Regiment was a significant milestone of Army's Objective Force.
"The unit has always recruited well and has a spiritual connection with the WA community," Lieutenant Colonel Wright said.
"B Squadron is being raised ahead of schedule in November 2021, and on current trends, the regiment will be near full staffing by the end of 2022.
"As well as personnel growth, we are fortunate to have been given the opportunity to develop a light cavalry capability, with an initial issue of 10 Hawkei Protected Mobility Vehicles - Light.
"The Hawkei is a fantastic platform from which we can experiment and develop our intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities with a focus on our WA base of operations."
Regimental Sergeant Major Warrant Officer Class One (WO1) Bruce Williams said the re-raising of the regiment recognised the unit's strong history, while looking to the future.
"The 10th Light Horse Regiment is one of the most storied units in WA history, and the parade reflected that with our new fleet of Hawkei as well as the 13th Brigade's Land 121 Fleet," WO1 Williams said.
"The parade also incorporated a traditional light horse troop in period uniform and a guard of honour from our supporting associations.
"We have marked the historical significance of the occasion, and now we focus on readying ourselves for the challenges ahead."
Mr Hastie congratulated the regiment on the significant event.
"While 10th Light Horse's traditional focus is operations in conflict, their capability and platforms are critical enablers in helping local communities during natural disasters and other crises," Mr Hastie said.
The 13th Brigade is focused on re-structuring and modernising itself in order to respond to a range of contingencies and challenges prioritised around Western Australia and the Indian Ocean region.
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