Peter Cosgrove
General Peter John Cosgrove, AC, MC, CNZM (born 28 July 1947) is an Australian general. He was the Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 3 July 2002 to July 2005, when he retired from active service.
Military service
Cosgrove has served in the Australian Army since attending the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1965. Early in his career, Cosgrove fought in Vietnam, where he served with great distinction, receiving the Military Cross.
Cosgrove came to national fame in 1999 when, as a Major General, he led the international forces (INTERFET) in a peacekeeping mission to East Timor. The mission's success made Cosgrove one of Australia's most respected and popular military leaders.
Cosgrove was later promoted to Chief of the Army and Chief of the Defence Force.
It has also contributed to speculation that he will take up the post of Governor-General of Australia after he retires. However, he has shown no interest in such a post; and, he pointedly stated in his announcement that he would not renew his contract past 3 July 2005, that he was not going to enter politics.
On 4 July 2005, Air Marshal Angus Houston (now Air Chief Marshal Houston), the then-Chief of Air Force (CAF), replaced General Cosgrove as Chief of the Defence Force (CDF).
Chef
Generals Cosgroves Chef is rumoured To have been the hardest working soldier in the Australian Army
Sam Browne
Due to his hard working chef, General Cosgrove is reported to have worn a custom made maternity size Sam Browne during the latter stages of his career
Cyclone Larry Taskforce
On 23 March 2006, retired General Peter Cosgrove was selected to lead the Queensland Government taskforce of rebuilding communities damaged by Cyclone Larry, a Category 5 tropical cyclone that devastated the Innisfail region of northern Queensland.[1]
Awards
- Military Cross (MC) for gallantry in Vietnam.
- Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), Australia's highest honour, for services in East Timor.
- Australian of the Year 2001.
Foreign awards
- Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM).
- Commander of the United States Legion of Merit.
References
| The Bulletin: The Last Post? By Paul Davey
