The Values and Standards of the British Army - A Guide to Soldiers
The Ethos of the British Army
That spirit which inspires soldiers to fight. It draws from, and depends upon, the high degree of commitment, self-sacrifice and mutual trust which together are so essential to the maintenance of morale.
The Values of the British Army
Selfless Commitment: to put others before yourself
Courage: to face up to danger and do what is right
Discipline: to maintain the highest standards, so that others can rely on you
Integrity: to earn the respect and trust of your comrades
Loyalty: to be faithful to your comrades and your duty
Respect for Others: to treat others with decency at all times
Foreward by the Chief of the General Staff
As a soldier in the British Army much is expected of you. You may be required to deploy on operations which will be dangerous, to obey orders which could put your life at risk, and to live and work for long periods under extremely challenging conditions. Your comrades, your commanders and ultimately the Nation will depend on your courage, loyalty and commitment. They will rely on you to maintain the highest standards of professionalism and self-discipline at all times. In short they must trust you, and you need to trust them.
This two-way obligation forms a covenant between the Army and its soldiers. Both share a common bond of identity, loyalty and responsibility for each other which is unwritten but unbreakable, and which has sustained us throughout our history. By volunteering as a soldier in the British Army you accept that, by putting the needs of
the Service before your own, you will forgo some of the rights enjoyed by those outside the Armed Forces. But in return you can at all times expect fair treatment, to be valued and respected as an individual, and to be rewarded by reasonable terms and conditions of service.
The values and standards that are set out in this booklet are those which experience has shown are vital for success on operations. The key is to build and maintain that trust which is so essential to the establishment of absolute confidence between members of a team, at whatever level. These values and standards will enable the Army to continue to serve the Nation in the future, as we have done in the past.
General Sir Roger Wheeler
Chief of the General Staff
March 2000
VALUES AND STANDARDS OF THE BRITISH ARMY
The British Army exists to defend the Nation and its interests. It has a reputation second to none, based largely on its fighting spirit, and on the high standards of professionalism, behaviour, and self-discipline that British soldiers have consistently displayed. Land operations are physically and mentally demanding, extremely unpredictable, and potentially dangerous. In the end they depend for success on teamwork, which comes from demanding training, strong leadership, comradeship and trust. Such trust can only exist on the basis of shared values, the maintenance of high standards, and the personal commitment of every soldier to the task, the team, the Army and the Nation.
The values and standards of the Army are laid out in this page, and you have a duty to uphold them whenever and wherever you are serving, on duty and off. Success on operations, and ultimately the lives of your comrades, will depend on your doing so.
THE VALUES OF THE ARMY
- Selfless Commitment Personal commitment is the foundation of military service. You must be prepared to serve whenever and wherever you are required, and to do your best at all times. This means you must put the needs of the mission, and of your team, ahead of your own interests.
- Courage Courage creates the strength on which fighting spirit depends. You must have the physical courage to carry on with your task regardless of danger and discomfort, and the moral courage always to do what you know is right.
- Discipline The Army must be a disciplined force if it is to be effective. You must therefore obey all lawful orders you are given. The best form of discipline, which the Army expects from you, is self-discipline. Only that will earn you the respect and trust of your comrades, and equip you to cope with the difficult, individual decisions you will have to make during your service. This applies whether on operations or not.
- Integrity Integrity involves honesty, sincerity, reliability and unselfishness. It is an essential requirement of both leadership and comradeship. Unless you maintain your integrity, others will not trust you and teamwork will suffer. Integrity sometimes requires you to show moral courage, because your decisions may not always be popular. But it will always earn you respect.
- Loyalty The Nation and the Army rely on your commitment and support. You must therefore be loyal to your commanders, your comrades and your duty. If you are not, you will be letting others down.
- Respect for Others As a soldier you have the exceptional responsibility of bearing arms, and when necessary of using controlled lethal force. In addition, you will sometimes have to live and work under extremely difficult conditions. In such circumstances, it is particularly important that you show the greatest respect, tolerance and compassion for others because comradeship and leadership depend on it.
STANDARDS OF CONDUCT
As a soldier in the British Army you must:
- Abide by the civil law, wherever you are serving.
- Abide by military law, which includes some additional offences such as insubordination and absence without leave which are needed to maintain discipline.
- Abide by the laws of armed conflict whenever you are on operations.
- Avoid any activity which undermines your professional ability, or puts others at risk. In particular, the misuse of drugs and abuse of alcohol.
- Avoid any behaviour which damages trust and respect between you and others in your team and unit, such as deceit or social misconduct. In particular, you must not commit any form of harassment, bullying or discrimination, whether on grounds of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or any other behaviour which could undermine good order and military discipline.
Ultimately, you must always measure your conduct against the following test:
"Have your actions or behaviour adversely impacted or are they likely to impact on the efficiency or operational effectiveness of the Army?"
- Those of you in positions of authority, at whatever level, have a duty of care towards your subordinates, looking after their interests, and ensuring that they fully understand what is expected of them. This duty of care extends to ensuring that individuals who raise concerns have their complaints dealt with in a thorough and timely manner.
- You will receive further instruction in your unit on the Values and Standards of the Army. If you are uncertain or unclear about what is expected of you, you should ask your commander. The challenges you will face on operations, and in training, will test you and your team. That is why your commitment to the Values and Standards of the Army is essential.
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