LIEUTENANT GENERAL P.J. COSGROVE, AC, MC

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Sydney in 1947 he was educated  at Waverley College before entering the Royal Military College in 1965. On graduation in 1968 he was allotted to the Royal Australian Infantry Corps and posted to the 1^st Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). After several months service with the Battalion in Australia and Malaysia, he was posted to the 9^th Battalion, RAR in South Vietnam where he commanded a rifle platoon. He was subsequently awarded the Military Cross for service in Vietnam.

On returning to Australia in 1970, he was posted to the Methods of Instruction Team, until 1972, when he spent a year as Aide-de-Camp to His Excellency the Governor-General. From 1973 to 1975 he served as a company Second in Command, Adjutant, and Company Commander in the 5^th Battalion, RAR, before in 1976 being posted as an Officer Instructor of Tactics at the Infantry Centre.

In 1978 he attended the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College in the USA. On returning to Australia in 1979 he performed a variety of staff appointments at Headquarters, Field Force Command in Sydney. In 1983 he became the Commanding Officer of the 1^st Battalion, RAR and was subsequently appointed a member of the military division of the Order of Australia for his service with the Battalion. In 1984 he became the Australian Army Exchange Instructor at the British Army Staff College, Camberly in the UK.

In 1987 he assumed duty as Military Assistant to the Chief of the General Staff, before attending the Joint Services Staff College in 1988. Further staff appointments  followed at Headquarters Australian Defence Force and as Director of Combat Development at Army  Office.  In January 1990 he was the Commandant of the Infantry Centre and Director of Infantry. In 1992 he assumed command of 6^th Brigade based in Brisbane.  He subsequently attended the Indian National Defence College in 1994. From 1995 until December 1996 he was the Commandant of the Australian  Defence Warfare Centre at Williamtown NSW. In 1997 he was appointed the Commandant of the Royal Military College of Australia.

Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove was appointment (sic) as Commander 1^st Division and Deployable Joint Force Headquarters on 7 March 1998. From 19 Sep 99 to 23 Feb 00 Lieutenant General Peter Cosgrove commanded INTERFET International Forces East Timor).

On 25 Mar 00 Lieutenant General Cosgrove was appointed a Companion of the Military Division of the Order of Australia in recognition of his services as Commander INTERFET.

Lieutenant General Cosgrove was Land Commander-Australia from 02 March 00 until 12 Hun 00.

Lieutenant General Cosgrove assumed his current appointment as Chief of Army on 16 Jul 00.