The value of respect: what does it mean for an Army?

The Australian Army has adopted ‘Respect’ as a new addition to the existing trio of values, ‘Courage, Initiative and Teamwork.’ This article explores what ‘respect’ may mean as an army value. The significance of ‘respect’ surrounding two incidents involving Australian Defence Force personnel while on duty in Afghanistan is considered. The first is the so-called ‘green on blue’ attack by an Afghan National Army soldier killing three Australian soldiers on August 29, 2012. The second concerns allegations of mutilation of suspected Afghan insurgents’ corpses by soldiers attached to an Australian Special Forces Unit on the April 28, 2013. The incidents have resulted in internal military investigations. In the second incident with a view to possible prosecution for breach of the law of armed conflict and related disciplinary offences, and in the case of the green on blue attack leading to a civilian coronial inquest. The article discusses the training and modelling of behaviour required to instil such a value as respect