

LIEUTENANT COLONEL DARREN HUXLEY DSC
1 JANUARY 2009 ~ 28 JUNE 2011
Darren Huxley enlisted as an Officer Cadet
at the Australian Defence Force Academy in
1988 and graduated with a Bachelor of
Science in 1990.
In 1991 he graduated from the Royal Military
College of Australia into the Royal
Australian Infantry Corps, and was initially
appointed as a Platoon Commander in the
5th/7th Battalion of the Royal Australian
Regiment (5/7 RAR). Additional postings
included tours as a Depot Company Platoon
Commander at the School of Infantry; as the
Adjutant, 12th/40th Battalion, Royal
Tasmania Regiment; and as an instructor on
the Battle Wing of the Land Command Battle
School at Canungra. He was also posted as a
Battle Captain on Headquarters 1st Brigade
in Darwin from 1999 to 2001.
In 2001 he was promoted to Major and
appointed as a Company Commander in 5/7 RAR.
Whilst with the battalion he deployed on
Operation Relex and with AUSBATT VII during
Operation Citadel in East Timor.
In 2003 he attended the United States Marine
Corps Command and Staff College in Quantico,
Virginia, and graduated as a Distinguished
Graduate with a Master of Military Studies.
In 2004 he was selected to attend the
prestigious School of Advanced Warfighting
at the Marine Corps University from which he
graduated in 2005.
On return to Australia in 2005 he was
promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and posted as
the Staff Officer Land Operations at
Strategic Operations Division, ADHQ. This
position transitioned in 2006 to Military
Strategic Commitments Branch of the VCDF
Group where he was the Deputy Director
Regional and Domestic Commitments.
In 2009 he assumed command of the 5th
Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment and
deployed on operation Astute as the
Commanding Officer of Timor Leste Battle
Group V over the period January to June
2009. In 2010 he deployed to Afghanistan
with 5 RAR assuming the Operation Slipper
tasks of the 2nd Australian Mentoring Task
Force (MTF-2). He was awarded the
Distinguished Service Cross for his command
of MTF-2 from October 2010 until June 2011.
On return to Australia he was promoted to
Colonel and officially handed over command
of 5 RAR to LTCOL Andrew Forbes in July 2011
at Robertson Barracks in Darwin.
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