- Monash University Regiment
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Monash University Regiment 
Cap badge of the Monash University RegimentActive 1966–Present Country 
AustraliaBranch Army Reserve Type Training Establishment Role Army Reserve Officer Training Part of Royal Military College, Australia The Monash University Regiment is a reserve officer training regiment of the Australian Army, based in Victoria near Monash University. It is a part of the 2nd Division's 4th Brigade. The Regiment is associated with the university, but this proved to be a difficult relationship during the Vietnam War-era when Monash University's Clayton campus was a hotbed of student activism. Recruiting on the campus ended when members of the student association stole three weapons during a recruiting campaign. The weapons referred to were recovered by the Victoria Police Force.[citation needed]
As for the APCs (Armoured Personnel Carriers, members of the Regiment did not "borrow" these as they never had access to these type of vehicles.[citation needed] The incident referred to was when 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse (an Army Reserve armoured unit) was asked to provide two or three APCs for a display at Monash's Depot, then in Huntingdale.[original research?] The convoy was commanded by a former commanding officer of Monash Regiment, then Major, and eventually Lt Col, Graeme Rees Jones. The convoy entered the University's ring road via the rear entrance (which did not have a gate in those days) drove all the way around the ring road and exited via the same entrance and then drove to the depot.[citation needed] Their arrival was witnessed by a number of people (included this editor of this article)[original research?] all of whom saw Major Rees Jones jump down from his APC saying "I did it" is a gleeful tone.[tone] His delight being in no small way because he had not been able to take any of the Monash vehicle's onto the University for almost all of the time he was the commanding officer.[tone][citation needed]
The regiment is named in honour of General Sir John Monash, Australia's greatest soldier and probably the most effective commander on the Western Front during World War I.
The current Commanding Officer is Lieutenant Colonel Paul Galea, and the Honorary Colonel is Brigadier John Deighton AM, MC who succeeded Major General Jim Hughes AO, DSO, MC.
Contents
History
The regiment, which is known as MONUR (not to be confused with MUR which is Melbourne University Regiment), traces its origins back to 8 March 1966, when Monash University Company was formed as a detachment of MUR.
The Regiment's shoulder insignia and it's abbreviated title is simply "MONASH" and NOT "MONUR". The reason being that if "MONUR" (pronounced MON UR) had been chosen it would rapidly have degenerated into the very derogatory "manure" and this would have been very disrespectful to Australia's greatest soldier.
On the 23 February 1970 it ceased to be the Monash University Company of MUR, and became its own regiment. MONUR recently celebrated its 39th birthday.
Structure
The Regiment is structured into a Regimental (Battalion) Headquarters and two sub-units: Cadet Company and Logistic Support Company. Cadet Company contains all the Staff Cadets, who are completing the Part Time General Service Officer First Appointment Course (PT GSO FAC) to become commissioned officers in the Australian Army. Cadet Company also contains a number of SCDTs who are part of the Officer Tertiary Recruitment Scheme (OTRS) which involves training at the Regiment while completing a university degree, then being posted to the Royal Military College of Australia's full-time facility at Duntroon (RMC-D) in Canberra to complete the GSO FAC on a full-time basis. A return of service obligation of four years exists for this scheme, but does not apply for reservists.
Monash University Regiment sends approximately 10 people to RMC-D each year to complete the PT GSO FAC, graduates of which are commissioned as Lieutenants before being allocated to their Corps and posted to their first unit.
The Logistic Support Company provides training and logistic support to Cadet Company. Logistic Support Company consists of a catering cell, a rifle section, Q store, a transport section, and administration cell.
Traditions
The Regiment's motto is Ancora Imparo which is attributed to Michelangelo and translates as "I am still learning", which is also the University's motto. Members of the Regiment wear an Academic Blue (or Cambridge Blue) lanyard which signifies the unit's link with Monash University, which in turn adopted many of the traditions of Cambridge University. The Regimental badge is backed by a red 'aura' which signifies the alliance of MONUR with the British Army's Light Infantry, now amalgamated into The Rifles. The mascot of MONUR is a black sheep (ram) indicative of the status and culture of the Regiment. MONUR's Regimental quick march is "Imperial Echoes", which was composed by Arnold Safroni in 1913 and used as the signature tune of the BBC Newsreel feature during WWII.
External links
Categories:- Regiments of Australia
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