The 1st Recruit Training Battalion's 15^th and 16^th Platoons were out on the parade ground on Thursday for the graduating ceremony's final dress rehearsal.

Battalion Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Deacon said that 204 family members would attend the ceremony this morning for about 100 recruits who had just finished 12 weeks of training.

"We are very much looking forward to it, we can't wait to have families back and being about able to celebrate with families and recruits that are soon-to-be the newest soldiers in the Army," he said.

The audience will be smaller compared to pre-coronavirus parades but numbers have been limited to two family members per recruit, plus children, due to the COVID safety plan.

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Lt Col Deacon said Kapooka had to take extra precautions against COVID-19, resulting in a longer period without a physical audience for march outs compared to other events out in the community.

"It's the first parade since the 18^th of March [2020] where we have been able to bring families back to the parade," he said.

"We have previously been running much smaller ceremonial activities to signify the end of the courses, which unfortunately we haven't been able to have families attend.

"Last week we were able to have our first one that was live-streamed so at least families could watch; Friday is the first to have families back in a COVID safe manner."

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