 Following the deployment of the AIF a reinforcement system was used to replace wastage . Reinforcements received training in Australia first at camps around the country before sailing as drafts — consisting of about two officers and between 100 and 150 other ranks — and joining their assigned units at the front . Initially , these drafts were assigned to specific units prior to departure and were recruited from the same area as the unit they were assigned to , but later in the war drafts were sent as " general reinforcements " , which could be assigned to any unit as required . These drafts were despatched even before Gallipoli and continued until late 1917 to early 1918 . Some units had as many as 26 or 27 reinforcement drafts . To provide officer reinforcements , a series of AIF officer schools , such as that at Broadmeadows , were established in Australia before officer training was eventually concentrated at a school near Duntroon . These schools produced a large number of officers , but they were eventually closed in 1917 due to concerns that their graduates were too inexperienced and after this most replacement officers were drawn from the ranks of the AIF 's deployed units , and candidates attended either British officer training units , or in @-@ theatre schools established in France . After February 1916 , the issue of NCO training was also taken more seriously , and several schools were established , with training initially being two weeks in duration before being increased to two months . 
