3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment

3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment is a regular force light infantry battalion of the Canadian Forces. As of 2011, 3 RCR was designated Canada's first airmobile battalion. The unit has served Canada well throughout its history, and 3 RCR's most notable service occurred in 2003–2004, when it was the initial Canadian Forces unit to serve as part of ISAF, deploying to Kabul in August 2003. After seeing the unit in the reconstitution phase of the army training operations framework cycle, it was prepared once again for deployment. It stood up as the core of "Task Force 3–08 Battle Group" (TF 3–08 BG) in January 2008 and assumed duties in Kandahar in September of that year. 3 RCR redeployed to Canada in April and May 2009. Most recently, "O" Company deployed as a component of the Task Force 1-10 BG.

Battalion origins
The Royal Canadian Regiment was formed 21 December 1883, under the name of the "Infantry School Corps". The regiment was known by a variety of names until "The Royal Canadian Regiment" became official. There have been three occasions when there have been more than one battalion of The RCR. First was during the time of the Boer War, when 2nd (Special Service) Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry constituted Canada's initial involvement in that war. 3rd (Special Service) battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment of Infantry occupied Wellington Barracks in Halifax, NS and conducted garrison duties there. Second was at the tail end of the Second World War when a second battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment was formed for duty in Japan. Finally, during the Korean War, 3rd battalion was formed on 10 January 1951. 3 RCR served in Korea from March 1953 until March 1954.

During a reorganisation of the Canadian Army in the early 1950s, 3 RCR ceased being on the regular force order of battle. 3 RCR was the designation of the militia battalion of The RCR.

3 RCR was once again a regular force battalion when it assumed duties as a mechanized infantry battalion of 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group, taking over 3 (Mechanized) Commando of the Canadian Airborne Regiment. It served in Baden, Germany, until 1984, when it was replaced by 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. It then was based in Winnipeg as part of 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group. It then returned to Germany in 1988, where it stayed until 1993, following the end of the Cold War. It was then designated a so-called "10/90" battalion and was based at CFB Borden. (These battalions were composed of 10% regular force members, and 90% reserve force members.)

3 RCR was stood up as a full-fledged regular force infantry battalion in 1996, and was designated as a light infantry battalion, consisting of three rifle companies, a combat support company and a combat service support company:
 * M Company (Airborne)
 * N Company (Air Assault)
 * O Company (Mountain)
 * Q Company (Combat Support)
 * R Company (Combat Service Support)

Service in the Korean War
3 RCR replaced 2 RCR in Korea in early 1953. Early in May the battalion withstood a strong enemy assault on its position about Hill 187. The attack was repulsed, but the engagement cost the Canadians heavy casualties – 26 killed, 27 wounded and seven taken prisoner.

3 RCR as a reserve battalion
In 1954 two London, Ontario, Militia regiments, the Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) (MG) and The Oxford Rifles were amalgamated and redesignated The London and Oxford Fusiliers (3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment). This unit thus became the reserve component of The RCR. In 1958, it was renamed 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (London and Oxford Fusiliers).

The Militia battalion changed from the 3rd to the 4th Battalion in 1970 when The Canadian Guards were reduced to nil strength and the soldiers of that regiment's 2nd Battalion (at CFB Petawawa) became the restored 3rd Battalion, The RCR, on the Regular Force order of battle. This amalgamation also brought to the regiment the perpetuation of a number of battalions of the First World War Canadian Expeditionary Force, including the 1st, 33rd, 71st, 142nd and 168th Battalions as well as the 2nd Battalion of the Canadian Machine Gun Corps.

Service during the Cold War
3 RCR was one of two infantry battalions that formed Canada's commitment to NATO. It assumed duties from 3 Mechanised Commando, Canadian Airborne Regiment in 1977. It was stationed in Baden-Söllingen, Germany, as part of 4 CMBG. It remained there until 1984, when it was replaced by 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry. 3 RCR was then stationed in Winnipeg, Manitoba. In 1988, 3 RCR was once again rotated to Germany. At this time, it deployed with four rifle companies instead of the usual three rifle companies. It consisted of the following:
 * M Company (Mechanized Infantry)
 * N Company (Mechanized Infantry)
 * O Company (Mechanized Infantry)
 * P Company (Mechanized Infantry)
 * Q Company (Combat Support)
 * R Company (Combat Service Support)

3 RCR remained in Germany until 1993, when 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group was stood down following the end of the Cold War.

Service in Bosnia and Herzegovina
3 RCR deployed to Bosnia and Herzegovina twice as part of SFOR. The first tour in 1998–1999 as Rotation 3 for Operation Palladium under command of Lieutenant Colonel Jorgensen and then again in 2001 as Rotation 8 under command of Lieutenant Colonel Thompson.

Service in Afghanistan
3 RCR has served in Afghanistan twice. The first tour was in Kabul in 2003/2004 as "Roto 0" for Operation Athena as part of ISAF, and later as "Roto 6" for Operation Athena in Kandahar in 2008/2009. 1st Platoon, M Company of 3 RCR was featured in the Discovery Channel documentary series Combat School while training for their first operational deployment to Afghanistan.

Service in Kabul
As part of Canada's commitment to Afghanistan as part of ISAF, 3 RCR deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, in the summer of 2003. It was based out of Camp Julien. The 3 RCR Battlegroup (3 RCR BG) was augmented by "C" Company, 1 RCR. 3 RCR BG served in Kabul until early 2004, when it was replaced by a battle group of the Royal 22e Régiment.

Service in Kandahar
In anticipation of its deployment to Afghanistan in Autumn, 2008, 3 RCR reroled into a mechanized infantry battalion. It formed the core of Task Force 3–08 Battle Group (TF 3–08 BG), augmented by:
 * G Company, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment
 * A Squadron, Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians)
 * D Squadron, The Royal Canadian Dragoons
 * 24 Field Squadron, 2 Combat Engineer Regiment
 * F Battery, 2nd Regiment, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery

(A Squadron was augmented by a troop from the Royal Canadian Dragoons)

3 RCR BG served in Kandahar, Afghanistan from 21 Sept 2008 until 15 April 2009.

In 2010 O Company deployed, in support of 1 RCR, for Task Force 1–10.

Post-deployment and reconstitution
In 2010, the M (Parachute) Company Group, consisting of combat engineer, mortar team, medical, and signals attachments took shape. They deployed as a group for the first time in February 2011 participating in an exercise with the United States Army 82nd Airborne Division.

Shortly thereafter, N (Airmobile) Company, deployed to Yuma, AZ to participate in the United States Marine Corps WTI. This was done IOT set the foundations for 3 RCR's re-rolling into the Canadian Army's officially designated Air-Mobile Battalion.

O (Fast rope) Company were given greater attention, as well, and have begun preparations to give the battalion a fast-rope capability and have successfully conducted their first series of fast-rope training exercises.

The advanced training currently being conducted provides the Light Airmobile Battalion three feasible insertion methods for light infantry tasks. Currently, 3 RCR is preparing/training in order to welcome the Chinook Helicopter to Petawawa.

Commanding officer
Lieutenant-Colonel David Quick enrolled in the Canadian Forces under the Officer Candidate Training Program and departed for training in January 1994. Upon completing his training he was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Regiment in August 1995. His first regimental tour was with 1st Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (1 RCR) where he commanded a rifle platoon, reconnaissance platoon and was second in command of Combat Support Company. While serving with 1 RCR he deployed twice; Bosnia in 1998 and Kosovo in 1999.

In the spring of 2000, he was posted to Land Force Central Area Headquarters Toronto in various staff roles until he was selected for the Army Officer Degree Program. He graduated from Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) with a Bachelor of Military Arts and Science degree and was subsequently posted in Jun 2003 to 2nd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment (2 RCR).

While posted to 2 RCR, Lieutenant-Colonel Quick was employed as the Acting Operations Officer (A/Ops O), officer commanding Combat Support Company and lastly, as officer commanding I Company Group. He deployed twice while serving with 2 RCR; Haiti as part of the Multinational Interim Force and to Afghanistan as part of TF 1-07 which saw him awarded the Star of Military Valour upon his return.

Lieutenant-Colonel Quick was posted to National Defence Headquarters upon redeployment in 2007 where he worked for DLFD within the Army structure for 2014 and later attended Staff College in Toronto where he completed his Masters of Defence Studies. Upon graduation, Lieutenant-Colonel Quick was posted to Canadian Special Operations Regiment in Petawawa as Chief of Operations. Upon promotion to his current rank in 2010, he was posted to Ottawa as J3 (Joint Operations) of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. In June 2011, he assumed his current appointment as commanding officer of 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment.

Lieutenant-Colonel Quick holds an undergraduate degree (Leadership) with a Master's degree in Defence Studies (Psychology of Killing in Combat), from RMC. He is a graduate of Canadian Land Force Command and Staff College as well as the CFCSC.

Regimental sergeant-major
Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Olstad enrolled in the Canadian Forces on 2 August 1985. After completion of Recruit and Basic Training in 1986, he was posted to 3rd Battalion, The Royal Canadian Regiment, M Company, Kapyong Barracks, Winnipeg, Manitoba. During this time, he attained infantry-specific courses such as Communicator, Machine Gun, Driver Wheel and Driver Track.

Two years later he was posted to Baden, Germany, remaining with M Company, 3 RCR. CWO Olstad received his appointment to the rank of master corporal in 1989, after completion of the Infantry Section Commander Course in Germany. In late 1990, he deployed to Doha, Qatar, as part of the First Gulf War, as a section second in command. Other highlights from the tour in Germany included various exchanges and exercises with other Nations, and the opportunity to complete two Nijmegen marches and the French Commando Course.

Upon return to Canada in late 1992, he was employed in various positions within the 1st Battalion such as D Company, C Company, Anti Armour, 9er TAC and deploying to the Balkans with B Company in 1993–1994. CWO Olstad was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 1996, and posted to the Land Force Area Training Centre and held the position of section commander and later the standards non-commissioned officer for the Junior Leadership course within Ontario.

In 2001, CWO Olstad was promoted to warrant officer and posted to 1RCR B Company, 5 Platoon, and deployed again to the Balkans as a platoon second in command. Upon completion of the tour he was employed in the battalion as training warrant officer and Anti Armour Platoon warrant officer. CWO Olstad was appointed to C Company quartermaster in 2005 and deployed to Afghanistan in 2006 with TF 3-06, 1RCR Battle Group. He was awarded the wound stripe for September 4, 2006 events. Due to his leadership efforts while he occupied this position he was awarded the Canadian Expeditionary Force Commander Commendation.

In 2007, CWO Olstad was promoted master warrant officer and posted back to 3RCR, O Company, as company sergeant-major (CSM). He held this position until early 2008. August 2008, he deployed with TF 3-08, 3RCR Battle Group, R Company, as CSM Combat Service Support. For his commitment to the wounded and killed in action of the battle group, he was awarded the Canadian Expeditionary Force Commander Commendation.

Upon return to Canada in 2009, CWO Olstad returned to 1RCR and appointed the drill sergeant-major. He was employed as the rear party sergeant-major during the 1RCR Battle Group deployment to Afghanistan.

The RCR cap badge
"An eight-pointed diamond cut star; upon the star a raised circle surmounted by the crown; within the raised circle, the block letters "VRI", the Imperial Cypher of Queen Victoria." (Description of the badge of The RCR as presented in Regiments and Corps of the Canadian Army, published by the Army Historical Section, 1964)

The letters VRI on the cap badge of The RCR stand for Victoria Regina Imperatrix, which is Latin for "Victoria, Queen and Empress". The right to wear the imperial cypher and crown was granted to the regiment by Queen Victoria in 1893.

When a royal or imperial cypher forms part of the badge of a regiment it is normal for it to change with each succeeding sovereign. During the period 1901 to 1919, the officially authorized versions of the regiment's cap badge were those with Edward VII's and George V's cyphers, although the regiment continued to use the "VRI" ensigned badges throughout this time while petitioning for their formal return. In 1919, George V granted The Royal Canadian Regiment permission to wear "VRI" in perpetuity – a unique privilege.

Regimental Colours
The 3rd Battalion received their regimental colours from Prince Philip, the regiment's colonel-in-chief, during a private working visit to Toronto in April 2013. The colours were received at Queen's Park and followed by a parade back to Fort York.