The Honour of the Regiment, vis a vis, the Spirit of the Regiment

They are both held high in the Parthenon of military ethos, but do they have significance and real meaning?  

In terms of Honour, the Regiment’s collective reputation is certainly part of it; but so too is the individual loyalty, duty, and courage of its members.  

There is much more, however.  Such as maintaining high standards of conduct and moral integrity.  The encouragement of others to respect heritage and traditions, also has its place. 

The most important element, however, is that of belonging; being a part of the Regiment and proud of it.  This leads to selflessness … making sacrifices to ensure that the name of the Regiment is never tarnished.  Respecting those who served before, is another tenet; as is teamwork and the idea of working together for a ‘greater good’.

In combat there is nothing more important than the Honour of the Regiment; but in peacetime … this is not always the case; in fact, sometimes it seems as if nobody cares.  Why?

On operations, your life is on the line at all times.  For many, there is a need to have confidence in a greater power, a higher being of some sort.  The Honour of the Regiment also provides a motivation or focus, a sense of purpose which might otherwise be absent. 

A unit’s reputation on active service is something to be valued above all else.  It is, in fact, the ‘be all and end all’ of everything that’s important.  If a Regiment’s not fighting for Honour, then it’s not really fighting at all. 

The Spirit of the Regiment, that which a Regiment puts its faith in, is different again.  The late Brig George Mansfield, AM said:

“What of that regimental spirit? We were not born with it, nor was it issued, given as a magical birthday gift or presented by some senior officer from Canberra.  It was developed slowly but surely on parade grounds, sentry duty, facing danger, enduring incredible hardships together, caring and sharing with each other, including the fear often hovering close by. Such spirit will always be a huge and powerful weapon. It gives strength, and helps keep the team united, motivated and always ready to grit teeth, roll up sleeves to do what has to be done.”

There is no doubt that regimental spirit gives strength; particularly in times of stress when cohesion is necessary in tough conditions. It is also a foundation for discipline and teamwork; plus, a well-spring for morale and camaraderie.

All of these qualities are subordinate, however, to those of Leadership.  The Honour of the Regiment and the Spirit of the Regiment both depend on good leadership; without it, everything comes to nothing.  Leaders at all levels are the key! 

Just what is leadership?  

For the Army, success on the battlefield is everything.   This requires leaders who make good decisions under pressure; but, at the same time, motivate those they command to strive for success themselves.  These qualities (good decision making and motivation) are not necessarily the same as the oft heard, ‘lead by example’.  

An additional quality needed is that of concern for the welfare of those they command.  Someone who has these three talents will undoubtedly prove themselves to be a worthy leader. 

How could it be, therefore, that the Chief of Army, having got to the top of the pyramid, strips the tanks from 1st Armoured Regiment and makes it a non-combatant, sacrificing its 75-year heritage … without so much as ‘a by your leave’ to the unit’s stakeholders?

It was said at the 2025 Chief of Army’s History Conference, that the Army had become complacent.  While this is undoubtedly true, the attitude shown above is that of arrogance, rather than complacency.

Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Cameron, MC, RAAC (Ret’d)

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FILE PHOTO: Aussie soldiers from 1 Troop, C Squadron, 1st Armoured Regiment, RAAC, speak with General William Westmoreland, Commander, US Military Assistance Command Vietnam, about an enemy attack on Fire Support Base Coral. Photo by Kevin Thurgar – AWM file THU/68/0566/VN

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