The Special Operations Logistic Squadron (SOLS) is an independent and specialised unit of the

Australian Army 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), wh ...

based in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

which provides specialist

logistical support Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

to all units of the Special Operations Command in support of

special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

. It has developed a "jack of all trades" capability across military logistics including rapid prototyping and

metal fabrication Metal fabrication is the creation of metal structures by cutting, bending and assembling processes. It is a value-added process involving the creation of machines, parts, and structures from various raw materials. Typically, a fabrication sh ...

History

The Special Operations Logistics Squadron (SOLS) was originally established as the Special Operations Combat Service Support Company (SOCSSC) in July 2003, as part of the newly created Special Operations Command, to provide second and selected third line support to special forces units. The company was re-designated as the Special Operations Logistic Squadron in 2007.

Role

The Special Operations Logistics Squadron is staffed by 100 full-time personnel and about 20

reservists A reservist is a person who is a member of a military reserve force. They are otherwise civilians, and in peacetime have careers outside the military. Reservists usually go for training on an annual basis to refresh their skills. This person is ...

and is the only unit responsible for providing logistical support to the Special Operations Command in all theatres of operations around the world. As such SOLS is the only independent logistic unit within the

and its personnel are trained by the

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 ...

and come from the

Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RAEME; pronounced Raymee) is a corps of the Australian Army that has responsibility for the maintenance and recovery of all Army electrical and mechanical equipment. RAEME has mem ...

Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps The Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC) is the Corps within the Australian Army concerned with supply and administration, as well as the demolition and disposal of explosives and salvage of battle-damaged equipment. The Corps contains ...

, or

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 ...

. Whilst SOLS officers and logisticians are not special forces personnel, they are required to conduct their role in arduous conditions, remote locations, and in isolated and hostile settings. As such, SOLS officers and logisticians are expected to maintain a skill set wider than that normally expected of those found within the wider

. SOLS is also responsible for training its own personnel in specialist logistics support. Alongside the

Special Operations Engineer Regiment The Special Operations Engineer Regiment (SOER) is a specialised unit of the Australian Army. The regiment forms part of the Special Operations Command. The unit was formed in 2002 as the Incident Response Regiment (IRR), they are deployed to r ...

, the Special Operations Logistics Squadron provides support to the

Special Air Service Regiment The Special Air Service Regiment, officially abbreviated SASR though commonly known as the SAS, is a special forces unit of the Australian Army. Formed in 1957, it was modelled on the British SAS sharing the motto, "Who Dares Wins". The re ...

and the 2nd Commando Regiment of the Special Operations Command in counterterrorism operations with the Tactical Assault Groups and in operations overseas including most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Special Operations Logistics Squadron has also deployed in humanitarian aid within the Asia-Pacific region.

References

{{Aust SF Special forces of Australia Military units and formations established in 2003