Brigadier Jason Blain recently handed over the Head of Corps Infantry and Regimental Colonel RAR duties to Brigadier Kahlil Fegan and has been posted on secondment to the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for the next couple of years.
Outgoing Head of Corps personally thanked Chairman Mike von Berg and past Secretary Ted Chitham for their engagement and assistance during the time of his appointment along with a thank you for the Associations outstanding dedication and ongoing support to the serving and ex-serving members of our Regiment.
Congratulations to Brigadier Fegan on his new appointment, a worthy HOC as seen from his short biography:
After graduating from the Royal Military College – Duntroon in 1993, Brigadier Kahlil Fegan spent three years as a platoon commander in 3 RAR, mostly within the Battalion’s Reconnaissance Platoon. He was fortunate to spend a fourth year as a platoon commander and an additional year as a company commander at the Army Recruit Training Centre – Kapooka.
Upon promotion to Captain, Kahlil served with 6 RAR and deployed with the Battalion as a company second in command to East Timor in early 2000. In 2001, Kahlil was posted for two years as the Australian Instructor at the Canadian School of Infantry and was responsible for running the Canadian Army Basic Infantry Officer Course.
Kahlil returned to Australia and served as a company commander in 3 RAR, during which time he trained a combined arms team and deployed with it as Officer Commanding SECDET III in Iraq. Following attendance at Australian Command and Staff College Kahlil fulfilled a number of staff jobs in Army Headquarters, The Office of the Chief of the Defence Force and within the 1st Division. In December 2010, he commenced a three-year command of 8/9 RAR and deployed with the Battalion on Operation QUEENSLAND FLOOD ASSIST in 2011, and to Afghanistan in 2012 as the Commanding Officer of Mentoring Task Force – Four.
Following command, Kahlil returned to the 1st Division, and later deployed as the Director of Plans for the Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command – Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. He is currently the Chief of Staff of Army Headquarters.
Kahlil holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Newcastle; a Masters of Management Studies from the University of New South Wales; and a Masters of International Public Policy from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
In 2005 Kahlil was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service for his command of SECDET III in Iraq. In 2013 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his command of the Task Force in Afghanistan, and in 2018 he was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service for his time as Director of Plans in Iraq.
Kahlil is married to Ilona, and they have a young son Elijah as well as two daughters, Caitlin and Lauren, from a previous marriage. He thoroughly enjoys endurance sports, albeit less endurance and more enjoyment now.
