The Army's Standards are designed to ensure that every soldier's behaviour is:

• lawful;
• appropriate;
• and totally professional.

Low standards, both professional and personal, damage the team and could cause injury or death on operations. This is why the Army depends on high standards and has a more demanding approach towards certain types of behaviour and relationships than the rest of society.

Lawful

Obey the law, all the time, wherever you are serving.

All soldiers are subject to the law wherever they are serving.
On operations this includes international law, the laws of armed conflict and, in some cases, civil law.

The Army needs to be tough and aggressive, and in doing our job we face people who break the law. This does not mean we can break the law. We must always keep our self-control, however angry or provoked we might be, because no soldier is ever above the law.

Appropriate Behaviour

Don't offend others

Trust underpins all our behaviour. Therefore, because our job depends upon:

• putting others' needs before our own;
• honesty;
• and supporting our team mates,

the Army needs a more demanding standard of social behaviour from us.

Social misbehaviour, particularly the wrong sort of relationship, can undermine trust. Unwelcome sexual attention, taking sexual advantage of someone more junior or an affair with the partner of a team mate may damage the integrity and honesty of those involved, and damage the team.

Total Professionalism

Be The Best

As British Soldiers we are trained to the highest standards. It is vital that we maintain those standards both on and off duty.

The responsible use of alcohol is part of Army life, but binge drinking is unprofessional, dangerous and damages health.

The use of illegal drugs is against the law and is harmful. The effects of drugs can remain in the body for a long time, affecting performance on operations. Soldiers who are caught using illegal drugs can expect to be discharged.

Uncontrolled debt and heavy gambling shows a lack of self-discipline, causing other to lose trust in us.