LIEUTENANT COLONEL MATTHEW DIRAGO
4 OCTOBER 2019 ~ 2 DECEMBER 2021

Lieutenant Colonel Dirago joined the Australian Army in 2003, enlisting in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps before commissioning at the Officer Cadet School, New Zealand. He served as a Platoon Commander with the 3rd Battalion (Parachute) and as a Company Commander in both the 3rd and 1st Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment (RAR). He has also served as the Adjutant of the 1st/19th Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment. Lieutenant Colonel Dirago proudly assumed command of the 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment in October 2019.

In addition to regimental service, Lieutenant Colonel Dirago has held appointments as the Package Master Field Training, III Class and Small Group Instructor at the Royal Military College – Duntroon. His staff appointments include Aide-de-Camp to the Commander Forces Command and most recently as a Campaign Planner at Headquarters Joint Operations Command.

As a Platoon Commander, he deployed to Timor-Leste in 2006 on OP ASTUTE and to Afghanistan in 2008 with the Fourth Reconstruction Task Force on OP SLIPPER. He deployed to the Solomon Islands as the Company Second in Command in 2010 on OP ANODE Rotation 21. His most recent deployment was to Afghanistan in 2015 as Officer Commanding Force Protection Element Three, OP HIGHROAD, with primary responsibilities as force protection and Operations Officer of a coalition advisory team.

Lieutenant Colonel Dirago is a graduate of the United States Marine Corps University School of Advanced Warfighting (SAW) and a Distinguished Graduate of the Command and Staff Course. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Macquarie University, a Masters of Military Studies and a Masters of Operational Studies from the Marine Corps University. His service has been recognised as a Platoon Commander with a Commander Joint Task Force 633 Bronze Commendation, as a Company Second in Command with a Commander Joint Operations Silver Commendation, and as the Operations Officer for the 205th Coalition Advisory Team with a United States Bronze Star.

Lieutenant Colonel Dirago is married to Angela, an experienced High School Science Teacher and loving mother to their infant son, Oliver. While Lieutenant Colonel Dirago enjoys the outdoors, running, and motorcycles of any nature, the arrival of a first born child has improved his priorities in life.