Gus Gilmore
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Major General Peter Warwick "Gus" Gilmore, (born 31 January 1962) is a retired senior officer of the
Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is 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 ...
. A graduate of the
Royal Military College, Duntroon The Royal Military College, Duntroon, also known simply as Duntroon, is the Australian Army's Officer (armed forces), officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory, Duntroon in Canberra, Australian Capi ...
, he was commissioned into the
Royal Australian Infantry Corps The Royal Australian Infantry Corps (RA Inf) is the parent corps for all infantry regiments of the Australian Army. It was established on 14 December 1948, with its Royal Corps status being conferred by His Majesty King George VI. At her corona ...
in 1983 and spent much of his career in
special forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
. He commanded 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 as a company, it was modelled on the British SAS with which it shares the motto, ...
(2001–02), led the first contingent of the Australian Special Operations Task Group in
Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...
(2001–02), was responsible for the Coalition Advisory Support Team in
Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...
(2005–06), and commanded
International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, Resolution 1386 ac ...
Special Operations Forces (2009–10). Following promotion to major general he held a succession of senior appointments, including Special Operations Commander Australia (2011–13), Deputy Chief of Army (2013–15), and Commander Forces Command (2015–16). His final appointment was as Head Military Strategic Commitments Division from 2016 to 2019.


Early life and education

Peter Warwick Gilmore was born on 31 January 1962 in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, New South Wales, the youngest of three children to Ian George Charles Gilmore and Alison Shirley Gilmore ( Cayley). Ian Gilmore was an officer in the
Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is 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 ...
who saw service in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
,
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
and
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...
, and rose to the rank of
brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
. Gilmore was educated at
Canberra Grammar School Canberra Grammar School is a co-educational, independent, day and boarding school located in Red Hill, a suburb of Canberra, the capital of Australia. The school is affiliated with the Anglican Church of Australia and provides an education fro ...
and later
Geelong College The Geelong College is an Australian independent and co-educational, Christian day and boarding school located in Newtown, an inner-western suburb of Geelong, Victoria. Established in 1861 by Alexander James Campbell, a Presbyterian minister, ...
in
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, graduating in 1978. Aged 17, he entered the
Royal Military College, Duntroon The Royal Military College, Duntroon, also known simply as Duntroon, is the Australian Army's Officer (armed forces), officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory, Duntroon in Canberra, Australian Capi ...
in January 1979 as an
Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is 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 ...
officer cadet Officer cadet is a rank held by military personnel during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by personnel of University Service Units such as the University Officers' Training Corps. Th ...
. He graduated from Duntroon with a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
degree from the affiliated
University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...
, and was commissioned a
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
in the
Royal Australian Infantry Corps The Royal Australian Infantry Corps (RA Inf) is the parent corps for all infantry regiments of the Australian Army. It was established on 14 December 1948, with its Royal Corps status being conferred by His Majesty King George VI. At her corona ...
on 14 December 1983. He later read for a
Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
in International Relations at
Deakin University Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974 with antecedent history since 1887, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia and a founding father of Australian Fede ...
. He is a graduate of the
Royal Military College of Science The Royal Military College of Science (RMCS) was a British postgraduate school, research institution and training provider with origins dating back to 1772. It became part of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in 2009, and ceased to exis ...
in the United Kingdom, the Australian Army Command and Staff College, the Australian Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, and the
Australian Institute of Company Directors The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is a non-profit membership organization for directors. The AICD is a founding member of the Global Network of Director Institutes (GNDI). History The origins of the AICD can be traced ba ...
.


Military career


Early career and regimental command

Gilmore was initially posted to the
8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment The 8th/9th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (8/9 RAR) is a motorised infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was originally formed in 1973 by linking together both the 8th and 9th Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment. Over the ...
as a platoon commander, later serving with the Infantry Centre in
Singleton, New South Wales Singleton is a town on the banks of the Hunter River (New South Wales), Hunter River in New South Wales, Australia. Singleton is 202km (126 mi) north-north-west of Sydney, and 70 km (43 mi) north-west of Newcastle, New South Wales ...
, and the 4th/3rd Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment in Sydney. In 1988, Gilmore passed selection and was appointed 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 as a company, it was modelled on the British SAS with which it shares the motto, ...
(SASR). For over a decade he filled various appointments in the SASR, including as a troop commander,
adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
, operations research officer, and squadron commander, rising to the command of the regiment in 2001. That year, he was selected as a recipient of the
Centenary Medal The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or g ...
in recognition of his "service to Australian society through the Australian Army". Gilmore's period as commanding officer of the SASR coincided with
Operation Slipper The Australian contribution to the War in Afghanistan (2001-present), war in Afghanistan has been known as Operation Slipper (2001–2014) and Operation Highroad (2015–2021). Australian Defence Force (ADF) operations and the size of the force ...
, Australia's initial commitment to the
War in Afghanistan War in Afghanistan, Afghan war, or Afghan civil war may refer to: *Conquest of Afghanistan by Alexander the Great (330 BC – 327 BC), the conquest of Afghanistan by the Macedonian Empire * Muslim conquests of Afghanistan, a series of campaigns in ...
. The Australian government decided to deploy a Special Operations Task Group, which was to include 1 Squadron SASR under Major Daniel McDaniel. The contingent embarked in October, with Gilmore in command. The Task Group deployed via
Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago. It has been used as a joint UK–U.S. military base since the 1970s, following the expulsion of the Chagossians by the UK government. The Chagos Islands are set to become a former B ...
and
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
to Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan. There, Gilmore's men worked alongside
United States Marines The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the Marines, maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expedi ...
in Brigadier General
Jim Mattis James Norman Mattis (born September 8, 1950) is an American military officer who served as the 26th United States secretary of defense from 2017 to 2019. A retired United States Marine Corps, Marine Corps four-star General (United States), gene ...
's Combined Task Force 45 to eliminate terrorist save havens by disrupting
Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...
and
Al Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...
elements in the region. After more than three months of heavy activity, during which 1 Squadron SASR was involved in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, Gilmore was succeeded in command of the Australian Special Operations Task Group by Lieutenant Colonel Rowan Tink on 1 February 2002. Three squadrons of the SASR completed operational rotations in Afghanistan over the first twelve months, receiving praise from Mattis and other coalition partners for their efficiency and effectiveness. The squadrons' achievements were recognised with the
Meritorious Unit Citation The Meritorious Unit Citation is a collective group decoration awarded to members of Australian military units. It recognises sustained outstanding service in warlike operations. The Meritorious Unit Citation was created in 1991, along with the ...
, while Gilmore was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) and the United States
Bronze Star Medal The Bronze Star Medal (BSM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, United States Armed Forces decoration awarded to members of the United States Armed Forces for either heroic achievement, heroic service, meritorious a ...
. The citation for Gilmore's DSC praised his "distinguished and inspirational leadership" in Afghanistan, noting that he "demonstrated an exceptionally high level of leadership and remarkably fine political acumen."


Rise to senior command

In 2003, Gilmore was posted to Australian Army Headquarters in
Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...
as Director of Strategy and International Engagement. He was soon after seconded to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, where he spent eighteen months working in the National Security Division. Promoted
brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...
in November 2005, Gilmore deployed to
Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...
to lead the Coalition Advisory Support Team in the Iraqi Joint Headquarters. His work supported coalition operations in the
Iraq War The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with 2003 invasion of Iraq, the invasion by a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition, which ...
, including those of the Australian forces deployed on Operation Catalyst; he was awarded the
Officer of the Legion of Merit An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...
from the United States government for his services in the role. He returned to Australia in 2006 and occupied a series of staff positions at Army Headquarters, including Director General of Defence Public Affairs and Director General Future Land Warfare, and as chief of staff at Headquarters Special Operations Command. Gilmore's "exceptional service" in these posts led to his appointment as a
Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
in the
Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the King's Official Birthday, reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into Order (honour), national or Dynastic order of knighthood, dy ...
of June 2009. Gilmore was selected to command the Special Operations Forces assigned to the
International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, Resolution 1386 ac ...
(ISAF), and redeployed to Afghanistan to take up the role in October 2009. The posting lasted twelve months and, on his return to Australia, he was promoted major general and succeeded Major General Tim McOwan as Special Operations Commander Australia (SOCAUST) in January 2011. As SOCAUST, Gilmore was responsible to both the Chief of Army and Chief of Joint Operations for the training, capability development, and operations of Australia's special forces. In November 2012, Gilmore represented the Australian Army and Special Operations Command during the reinterment of two Australian soldiers at
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery Port Moresby (Bomana) Cemetery is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery dating from World War II near Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The cemetery contains the graves of those who died in the fighting in the former Territory of Papua and ...
. Both men had been killed while serving with
Z Special Unit Z Special Unit () was a joint Allied special forces unit formed during the Second World War to operate behind Japanese lines in South East Asia. Predominantly Australian, Z Special Unit was a specialist clandestine operation, direct action, lo ...
during the Second World War. Gilmore was appointed an
Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
in the 2013 Queen's Birthday Honours. The award recognised "his outstanding leadership and commitment to Special Operations Command" as SOCAUST and commander ISAF Special Operations Forces. Three months later, on 20 September, he succeeded Major General Angus Campbell as Deputy Chief of Army. He occupied the role for sixteen months, before being appointed Commander Forces Command on 23 January 2015. Based at
Victoria Barracks, Sydney Victoria Barracks is an Australian Army base in the suburb of Paddington in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located between Oxford Street and Moore Park Road, it is just north of the Moore Park, the Sydney Cricket Ground and Sydney Footbal ...
, in this role he was responsible for the training, development and sustainment of the bulk of the Australian Army's forces and training establishments, including its infantry and aviation brigades and the Army Recruit Training Centre. In December 2016, he became Head Military Strategic Commitments Division within the Vice Chief of Defence Force Group, with purview for the strategic management of potential and present commitments for the
Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the Armed forces, military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Aus ...
. He relinquished the appointment and retired in 2019.


Personal life

Gilmore is married and has three children. An active sportsman, he enjoys running, surfing, and spectating
rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...
.


Footnotes


Bibliography

* * * * * , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmore, Gus 1962 births Australian generals Australian recipients of the Meritorious Service Medal (United States) Deakin University alumni Living people Officers of the Legion of Merit Officers of the Order of Australia People educated at Canberra Grammar School People educated at Geelong College Military personnel from Sydney Recipients of the Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) Recipients of the Meritorious Unit Citation Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates University of New South Wales alumni