The Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC) is the

Corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...

within the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, 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 (Austral ...

concerned with supply and administration, as well as the demolition and disposal of explosives and salvage of battle-damaged equipment. The Corps contains clerks, operator supplies (including q-store staff, warehouse staff and food technicians), petroleum operators, parachute riggers and ammunition technicians. Members of the Corps are nicknamed Roaches. Unlike other Corps within the Australian Army, there are no longer any RAAOC specific units, instead RAAOC sub-units sit within mixed units such as Combat Service Support Battalions (CSSBs) or Force Support Battalions (FSBs). RAAOC is also responsible for clerks and

quartermaster Quartermaster is a military term, the meaning of which depends on the country and service. In land armies, a quartermaster is generally a relatively senior soldier who supervises stores or barracks and distributes supplies and provisions. In m ...

store staff in all Australian Army Units. The motto of the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps is 'sua tela tonanti' (commonly translated to 'to the warrior his arms'), taken from the mother corps,

RAOC The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) was a corps of the British Army. At its renaming as a Royal Corps in 1918 it was both a supply and repair corps. In the supply area it had responsibility for weapons, armoured vehicles and other military equip ...

History

The Corps traces its history back to federation where General Edward Hutton started the Australian Army Ordnance Corps. The Corps gained its Royal prefix for its work during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The RAAOC motto translates from Latin to 'To the warrior his arms, to the thunderer his thunder bolts'. The RAAOC badge is copied from the

Board of Ordnance The Board of Ordnance was a British government body. Established in the Tudor period, it had its headquarters in the Tower of London. Its primary responsibilities were 'to act as custodian of the lands, depots and forts required for the defence ...

in the United Kingdom. On 31 May 1973 the

Royal Australian Army Service Corps The Royal Australian Army Service Corps (RAASC) was a corps within the Australian Army. Formed on 1 July 1903, in the aftermath of the Federation of Australia, it was initially known as the Australian Army Service Corps (AASC) and subsumed the f ...

ceased to exist and the responsibilities of road, transport, air dispatch and postal functions were handed over to the

Royal Australian Corps of Transport The Royal Australian Corps of Transport (RACT) is a corps within the Australian Army. The RACT is ranked tenth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, and is the most senior logistics corps. It was formed on 1 June 1973 as an amalgam ...

who were formed on 1 June 1973. The responsibilities of provision of foodstuffs and POL (petrol oil lubricants) was handed over to the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC).

Structure

Members of the ordnance corps will be found serving in most Army units and headquarters. The primary Regular Army units manned by RAAOC soldiers are:

Combat Service Support units

* 1 Field Supply Company 1 Combat Service Support Battalion (Darwin), * 3 Field Supply Company 3 Combat Service Support Battalion (Townsville), * 6 Field Supply Company, 7 Combat Service Support Battalion, Enoggera (Brisbane).

Force-level units

* 2 Field Supply Company (FSC) as part of 10 Force Support Battalion (Townsville) * 37 FSC as part of 9 Force Support Battalion (Ipswich). * 1 Petrol Company (Reserve) as part of 2 Force Support Battalion (Melbourne) * 6 Supply Platoon (Reserve) as part of 2 Force Support Battalion (Hobart) However, many Regular Army RAAOC trades are posted to units of all Regular and Reserve units throughout the Australian Defence Force as clerks, storemen(-persons) and other administrative and support roles.

RAAOC BOSCs

The Army Reserve element of the Corps used to also consist primarily of Supply Companies, with 4, 5, 8, 11, 13 Supply Company of each Combat Service Support Battalion (CSSB) of the respective numbered brigades in each state. As part of Project FOCUS (Project Director Colonel Allan A Murray), these supply companies have been replaced by Brigade Operations Support Companies (BOSCs) in each Reserve brigade. This implementation has centralised supply support to Army Reserve units, and as such, has been witness to a change of trade for Army Reserve members from warehousing (as in the old reserve Supply Companies) to Q-store streams. CSSB still exist in the Reserve brigades, the BOSC replaces Admin Company, Supply Company and Catering Company. The BOSC is Controlled by the CO of the CSSB of that brigade. Some positions will be replaced by APS, and other positions will not be replaced once ARA staff are posted out in the future. The old Supply Companies will make a limited return, but the APS civilians will run them as Brigade Operational Support Companies (BOSC). The CSSB will have their own Q store manned by ARes members.

RAAOC trades

Supply Coordinator

The Supply Coordinator (also known as "Storeman", "OP SUP", "Yardies" or "Queeies"), formerly Operator Supply - can be employed as Unit Q-store staff or in Warehousing - also has sub-specialities: Food Inspector, MILIS system managers, etc. Broadly speaking it is divided into Operator Unit Supply (Quieees) and Operator Supply Chain (Yardies). The OP SUP is a soldier who has knowledge of the defence supply chain, and under supervision, has a key role in the provision of logistic Supply support within the formation. The OP SUP is a multi skilled soldier, and conducts duties relating to Supply support, Supply systems and unit Supply. The range of tasks includes inventory control, warehousing and distribution, Supply management processes, operator equipment maintenance and specialised packaging tasks related to dangerous goods. The OP SUP is required to drive and maintain a variety of Army vehicles and operate Mechanical Handling Equipment. The OP SUP may be required to operate in combat, Combat Support and Combat Service Support roles. An OP SUP is to undertake the demand, receipt, storage, security, maintenance, inspection, internal issue, accounting for and disposal of all types of equipment and stores for, or held by the unit. OP SUP may be recruited or selected for the additional AMMO SUP course and specialise in ammo supply (see AT/ATO trade details below).

Operator Administration

The Operator Administration (also known as an OP ADMIN or "Clerk") conducts General administrative roles e.g. filing, typing and records. The OP ADMIN is a soldier who is responsible for the provision of first line personnel management support and resource management to units and members of the Australia Defence Organisation. The OP ADMIN has the skill sets to fill the role of Resource Manager or Career Manager and may also be employed within the training environment as an Instructor, Assessor, Trade Manager or Training Developer. As an OP ADMIN progresses through the trade and ranks, they gain a great deal of useful administrative skills including personnel management, public administration, financial management and concepts of government procedures.

Rigger Parachute

The Rigger Parachute Rigger (also known as RIGGER) is qualified to pack, repair and maintain parachutes and associated equipment for personnel, cargo and helicopter lift equipment for the Army. All Parachute Riggers are to be Basic Parachute Course qualified and as a Corporal are to be free fall qualified. The Rigger Parachute is a soldier who performs a wide range of technical functions on Aerial Delivery Equipment (ADE) including personnel and cargo inspection, repack, repair, modification, malfunction analysis, sentencing, procurement and fleet management of ADE.

Petroleum Operator

The Petroleum Operator (also known as a PET OP or OP PETRL) organise bulk fuel shipping and storage (tankers, big rubber bladders etc.). The OP PETRL is a soldier who is responsible for the deployment, construction, operation and maintenance of a range of petroleum, oils and lubricants (POL) storage and handling facilities. The function of an OP PETRL is to operate and manage POL equipment and products. This includes the operation of field and static POL equipment, the laboratory testing and analysis of POL products, and the storage, packaging and disposal of Dangerous Goods (DG), include hazardous materials, but excluding DG Class 1 (Ammunition and Explosives).

Ammunition Technical Officer/Ammunition Technician

The Ammunition Technical Officer (ATO) and

Ammunition Technician An ammunition technician (AT) is a British Army soldier, formerly of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps but since 1993 of the Royal Logistic Corps, trained to inspect, repair, test, store, and modify all ammunition, guided missiles, and explosives used ...

(AT or TECH AMMO) are involved with ammunition and explosives repair, storage, maintenance and disposal ( EOD) and ( IEDD) An ATO is a Commissioned Officer and an AT is a soldier who are ammunition and explosives specialists with the principal role of providing ammunition safety and performance assurance to commanders. They provide technical advice, technical support and management functions relating to ammunition and explosives to commanders, staff and other organisations at all levels. Through detailed knowledge of ammunition design and explosives engineering, the responsibilities and an ATO and an AT encompass all aspects of construction, function, use, storage, distribution, transportation, inspection, repair, maintenance, disposal and accounting of ammunition and explosives, including the operation of related equipment and facilities. An ATO and an AT also undertakes specific tasks for military and civil authorities by the provision of support for the identification and disposal of un-exploded ordnance ( EOD) and Improvised Explosive Devices ( IEDD). ATOs and ATs are trained at the Australian Army School of Ordnance. ATOs and ATs may also be selected for advanced EOD and IEDD training in the UK, USA and Canada.

Ammunition Supplier

The Ammunition Supplier (Ammo Sup) is an OP SUP soldier specialising in and responsible for ammunition supply and accounting within units across the entire Army. An ammunition supply specialist performs a range of duties from stores accounting, electronic ledger entry, to warehousing duties including receiving and issuing ammunition. As Ammo Sup progress, they have the opportunity to become an Ammunition Technician.

Conductors

One Conductor appointment per RAAOC trade was reintroduced into the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps for selected Warrant Officers Class 1 in 2006. A conductor is considered to be senior WO1.

Customs and traditions

Colours

The colours of the Ordnance Corps are scarlet, in reference to their link with the combat Corps, and royal blue. Unit colour patches consist of a large scarlet square on a dark blue background, with a dark blue geometric shape in the middle.

Motto

In 1928 the British War Office in London gave approval for the then AAOC to adopt the same motto as the British RAOC taken from the Ancient Board of Ordnance being the Latin phrase SUA TELA TONANT! (Normally translated to as 'To the warrior his arms').

Sovereign's Banner

The RAAOC Colonel-in-Chief, Her Majesty The Queen bestowed a Sovereign's Banner on the RAAOC. The Governor General of Australia Sir Zelman Cowen presented this banner to RAAOC at a parade held at Bandiana on 4 December 1981.

Corps Badge

The RAAOC badge design was developed from the badge of the now disbanded British RAOC and consists of four elements: the Crown, Garter, Riband and Shield. The shield depicts three field cannons and three cannonballs and forms part of the Coat of Arms granted to the Board of Ordnance in 1823. The motto of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the George C ...

'Honi soit qui mal y pense' is inscribed on the Garter. The motto can be translated from middle French as either 'Evil to he who evil thinks' or similarly 'shame upon him who evil thinks'.

Training

RAAOC training and Corps HQ is based at

Army Logistic Training Centre The Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC) is an Australian Army training establishment that is part of Forces Command. Established on 1 December 1995, through the amalgamation of nine separate logistic, health and personnel services schools and t ...

(ALTC) at

Bandiana Bandiana is a Suburb of the City of Wodonga local government area in northeast Victoria, Australia. History Bandiana takes its name from the early name for the area, probably from a First Nations toponym. The hill now known as Bears Hill appea ...

in rural

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

. The length of training for soldiers of the Ordnance Corps varies between 5 weeks for an administrative clerk, to the 18 Month Ammunition Technical Officer course. To train as an ammunition technician, a member must have a minimum of three years service and have achieved the rank of

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use in some form by many militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. The word is derived from the medieval Italian phrase ("head of a body"). The rank is usually the lowest ranking non ...