| Unit Name: | 2nd Parachute Battalion Bagaka Regiment |
| Dates: | July 1971 – present |
| Allegiance: | |
| Branch: | |
| Type: | Infantry (Paratroopers) |
| Role: | Airborne infantry |
| Size: | Battalion |
| Command Structure: | South African Infantry Corps Army Conventional Reserve |
| Garrison: | Tempe, Bloemfontein |
| Nickname: | Parabats |
| Identification Symbol: | BAGR |
| Identification Symbol Label: | Abbreviation |
The Bagaka Regiment (formerly 2 Parachute Battalion) is a reserve airborne infantry regiment of the South African Army.
With the implementation of one year National Service in South Africa in 1968, 1 Parachute Battalion struggled to administer the Permanent Force and the Citizen Force Parabats.[1] To prevent the loss of these trained national servicemen at the end of their one-year service to other units of the South African Defence Force, it was decided to form a new citizen force parachute unit to take these men.[1] The battalion was formed at Tempe in July 1971 of five rifle companies.[1] On 20 April 1978, the 2 Parachute Battalion and other parachute units became part of the newly formed 44 Parachute Brigade.[1]
2 Parachute Battalion would take part in Operation Savannah in Angola during 1975 and covered the withdrawal of the SADF forces from that country in early 1976.[1] In May 1978, elements of this battalion took part in the parachute drop over Cassinga during Operation Reindeer.[1] Companies from this battalion were based on the border with Angola in South-West Africa/Namibia and used as a rapid reaction force to counter incursions by SWAPO's PLAN forces into that country.[1] 2 Parachute Battalion companies were also deployed internally in South African black townships to suppress unrest to the governments Apartheid policies.[1]
In August 2019, 52 Reserve Force units had their names changed to reflect the diverse military history of South Africa.[2] 2 Parachute Battalion became the Bagaka Regiment, and have 3 years to design and implement new regimental insignia.[3]
South Africa