The Mangaung Regiment (formerly Regiment Bloemspruit) is a reserve

infantry Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

of the

South African Army The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Service. ...

History

Origin

In 1964, Regiment Bloemspruit with its HQ in Bloemfontein, was established on 1 January as the first Citizen Force Infantry Regiment in the then Orange Free State. The total strength of the Regiment at that stage was 15 members. The then Minister of Defence and later State President, the late Mr J.J. (Jim) Fouché, was actively involved in the establishment of the Regiment.

Colours

The Regimental Colour was presented to the regiment by the then State President Mr J.J. Fouché SADF Regiment Bloemspruit Commemorative letter

On 29 January 1981, the Freedom of the City was conferred on the regiment by the City Council of Bloemfontein, which the unit exercised for the first time on 6 March 1982. The regiment served in the South African Border War in the 1970s and 1980s.

Amalgamation

On 1 April 1997,

Regiment Louw Wepener A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...

(Bethlehem),

Regiment De Wet Chief Albert Luthuli Regiment (formerly Regiment De Wet) is a reserve infantry battalion of the South African Army. History Origins Regiment de Wet was one of six Afrikaans-speaking Citizen Force regiments established as part of the expansion ...

(Kroonstad) and

Regiment Dan Pienaar Regiment Dan Pienaar was an infantry battalion of the South African Army. As a reserve force unit, it had a status roughly equivalent to that of a British Army Reserve or United States Army National Guard unit. History Origins Regiment Dan ...

(Bloemfontein) were absorbed into Regiment Bloemspruit. Regiment Bloemspruit Amalgamated Regiments

Regiment Bloemspruit post 1994 in the SANDF

Today the Regiment is still active and well with a total strength of more than 500 members. The motto of the Regiment is "Wakker en Trou", meaning Alert and Loyal. A traditional toast, only to be introduced at very special occasions and a traditional way of greeting (only between members of the Regiment) were introduced in 1994. In 2006, Regiment Bloemspruit was deployed internally at Madimbo in the Limpopo Province as well as in the Eastern Cape with the swine fever outbreak. During April to June of the same year, and January and February 2008 Regiment Bloemspruit participated in ATR/ACR (Army Territorial Reserve to Army Conventional Reserve) Conversion Training with Kimberly Regiment. The regiment presented the penultimate ATR/ACR Conversion Course during January/February 2009. 2009 saw, Bravo Company (B-Coy) under command of Maj Dawid Vos, be attached to 121 SA Infantry Battalion and successfully deployed on a Peace Keeping Mission to the Darfur Region of Sudan from October 2009 to May 2010. Through Continuation and Formal Training the Regiment continually strives to provide an effective, professional combat ready force to the SA Army Infantry Formation. With the allocation of Military Skills Development System (MSDS) members with a five-year Reserve Force obligation, the regiment has been continually rejuvenated.

Name change

In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa. Regiment Bloemspruit became the Mangaung Regiment, and have 3 years to design and implement new regimental insignia.

Officers Commanding

Regimental Sergeants Majors

The first Regimental Sergeant Major (RSM) was WO1 A. Horn (1964–1969), followed by WO1 J.F. Fivaz (1969–1984) and WO1 K.J.H. van Zyl (1984-1996). The present RSM (since 1996) is Master Warrant Officer (MWO) C.J. De Bruyn.

Regimental Symbols

Previous Dress Insignia

Current Dress Insignia

References

{{SA Army Units Infantry regiments of South Africa Military units and formations in Bloemfontein Military units and formations established in 1964