The Australian Army is the principal land warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army (CA), who is subordinate to the Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) who commands the ADF. The CA is also directly responsible to the Minister for Defence, with the Department of Defence administering the ADF and the Army.
Australian troops on the Western Front, July 1918
Australian light horse unit in Jerusalem during WWI
Australian troops enter Bardia, January 1941
Soldiers of the Australian 39th Battalion in September 1942
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the military organisation responsible for the defence of the Commonwealth of Australia and its national interests. It has three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The ADF has a strength of just over 89,000 personnel and is supported by the Department of Defence and several other civilian agencies.
The retirement of the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne without replacement in 1982 marked a shift away from the policy of "forward defence".
Australian soldiers lead a column of American troops during Exercise Kangaroo '89, which was held in northern Australia.
A RAAF C-130 Hercules being unloaded at Tallil Air Base, Iraq, during April 2003
Australian Army ASLAV armoured vehicles in Afghanistan during 2011