Peter Cosgrove

Infobox Military Person
name= Peter John Cosgrove
born= birth date and age|1947|7|28|df=yes
died=
placeofbirth= Sydney, Australia
placeofdeath=
placeofburial=


caption= Peter Cosgrove, immediate past Chief of the Defence Force (Australia) at the 2008 National Anzac Day service, Australian War Memorial, Canberra.
nickname= Cos
allegiance= flagicon|Australia Australia
serviceyears= 1965-2005
rank= General
branch= Australian Army
commands= Chief of the Defence Force Chief of Army INTERFET Joint Deployable Force Land Command 1st Infantry Division School of Infantry 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
battles= Vietnam War International Force for East Timor
awards= Companion of the Order of Australia Military Cross Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit Commander of the United States Legion of Merit.
laterwork= Leader of the Cyclone Larry Task Force

General Peter John Cosgrove AC, MC (born 28 July 1947) is an Australian general. He was the Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 3 July 2002 to 3 July 2005, when he retired from active service.

Military service

Cosgrove was educated at Waverley College, then followed his father, a Warrant Officer, into the Australian Army by attending the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1965. Early in his career, Cosgrove fought in Vietnam with the 9th Battalion of The Royal Australian Regiment, where he served with great distinction, receiving the Military Cross in 1971. [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1091561&search_type=quick&showInd=true It's an honour entry - Military Cross - 12 February 1971] Citation: Infantry - 9 RAR - Vietnam ]

In 1980 he was awarded the national medal. [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=907859&search_type=quick&showInd=true It's an honour entry - National Medal - 16 October 1980] ] In the mid-1980s he commanded the 1st Battalion [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=878976&search_type=quick&showInd=true It's an honour entry - Member of the Order of Australia - 26 January 1985] Citation: In recognition of service as Commanding Officer 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment] 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. [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=879182&search_type=quick&showInd=true It's an honour entry - Companion of the Order of Australia - 25 March 2000] Citation: For eminent service to the Australian Defence Force as the Commander of the International Force East Timor ]

Cosgrove was promoted in 2000 to Lieutenant General as Chief of the Army (CA) and in 2002 to General as Chief of the Defence Force (CDF). [http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1116107&search_type=quick&showInd=true It's an honour entry - Centenary Medal - 1 January 2001] Citation: For service to Australian society as Chief of the Defence Force]

In 2004, then Foreign Minister Alexander Downer queried the judgement of Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty. [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/03/18/1079199363688.html "Honest copper emerges victor", The Age, 2004-03-18.] During a "doorstop" interview, Downer said Mr Keelty was "expressing a view which reflects a lot of the propaganda we're getting from al-Qaeda".] Following a joint interview with then Defence Minister Robert Hill, Cosgrove was accused of "playing politics" when he said that, on this occasion, he disagreed with Keelty's point of view. However, Cosgrove expressed strong support for the Police Commissioner in his memoir published in 2006."My Story" (HarperCollins Publishers Australia, October 2006, ISBN 0732283841)]

.

There was some speculation that after retirement he would take up the post of Governor-General of Australia, or run for parliament. He has firmly ruled out all such possibilities. [http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=140889 ACP Magazines have shut down The Bulletin website; new reference needed.] He consequently wrote an autobiography, "My Story", which was a bestseller in Australia.

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. [ [http://www.cabinet.qld.gov.au/MMS/StatementDisplaySingle.aspx?id=45250 "General Cosgrove to lead Cyclone Larry taskforce"] , Premier of Queensland press release, 2006-03-23.]

Out of respect to his work, a suburb in Townsville was named after him in 2008.

Personal

Cosgrove is on the board of Australia's main airline QANTAS and is on numerous other boards as Chairman or member.

He is married with three adult sons and lives in Sydney.

Awards

;Other awards not worn on ADF uniform:

References

External links

* [http://www.awm.gov.au/fiftyaustralians/11.asp Cosgrove bio] , Australian War Memorial
* [http://www.icmi.com.au/Speaker/Legal_Political/General_Peter_Cosgrove/Biography Cosgrove bio] , www.icmi.com.au
* [http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-heroes/cosgrove.htm Pictorial bio] , www.diggerhistory.info

Copyright pictures of Peter Cosgrove:
* [http://www.abc.net.au/tv/talkingheads/img/2007/ep21/cosgrove01.jpg2007 picture in civies] from transcript of [http://www.abc.net.au/talkingheads/txt/s1964316.htm ABC Talking Heads interview]
* [http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,5274989,00.jpg2006 picture] from [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20580228-2,00.html "Cosgrove admits he was wrong about Iraq"] , news.com.au, 15 October 2006 - promoting release of Cosgrove's autobiography.
* [http://www.defence.gov.au/defencemagazine/editions/200611/photos/coverstory03.jpg2005 (June)] , Pre-retirement - signing MOA with Steve Gumley (CEO of DMO) and Ric Smith (former Secretary, Australian DoD) - from [http://www.defence.gov.au/budget/04-05/dar/06_02_newera_spf.htm "New Era for DMO and Defence"] , Defence Annual Report 2004-2005
* [http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200611/r113997_358658.jpg2005 picture] from [http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s1779817.htm ABC interview on release of Cosgrove's autobiography, 2 Nov 2006] .
* [http://www.diggerhistory.info/images/diggers/cosgrove2.jpg2004 Official portrait]
* [http://www.biocrawler.com/encyclopedia/
] at the Australian Chief of Defence Change of Command Ceremony.