Abstract
In the last two decades, as the likelihood of involvement in major military conflictappears to have diminished, the Australian Defence Force has reflected changes in Austra-lian society in a number of areas. These include (1) the ethnic composition of the ADF; (2)the institution/occupation orientation of service personnel; (3) the admission of women to awider range of roles; (4) the enactment of a law permitting selective conscientious objec-tion; and (5) the government's decision to allow homosexuals to serve in the Defence Force. This study provides a brief historical background before outlining the principalfactors that have brought about change in these areas. Some of these changes have beenpainful for the Defence Force while others have proved relatively painless. What they allhave in common, however, is a focus on the rights of individuals. This raises the questionas to their impact on military effectiveness and the limits of individual rights in the armedforces, especially at a time of diminished military threat.
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