Secretary of Defence Dr Allan Hawke and former VCDF Lt Gen Des Mueller talk with Spr Young with Explosive Detection Dog Digger, 1CER at Robertson Barracks, NT. Photo by Sgt Steve Dyson, RAF

Despite change, the Army has retained enduring sound traits and the values of a force suited to the task of defending the interests of Australia, according to recently retired former VCDF Lt-Gen Des Mueller.

Interviewed on the day of his retirement, July 15, after a career of 41 years, Lt-Gen Mueller said he did not get "too excited" by those who suggested values in the Army had changed.

"The values I have heard from the ranks recently are enduring and sound and indicative of a good army," he said.

Lt-Gen Mueller emphasised that the values were "not of the Praetorian Guard" but values, which embraced the aims and aspirations of the Australian people.

"The culture and traditions such as taking care of mates and taking mates home - these endure," he said.

Lt-Gen Mueller was trained as an artillery officer and enjoyed corps postings including as CO and Chief Instructor at the School of Artillery at North Head.

"I suppose the greatest highlight of my career when I reflect on it would be that I had over a long period the opportunity to work with inordinately capable men and women, great-hearted men and women and, in many instances, very brave men and women," he said.

"As a more senior officer, I really enjoyed my period of seven years in logistics and, in particular, the period from mid-1997 until the end of 1999 when I brought Navy, Army and Air Force logistics together in the form of Support Command Australia."

He had a particular interest in leadership development, describing the four pillars of successful leadership.

"The first and the most important is that leaders at all levels must create a strong and enduring sense of purpose among those who follow them," he said.

"All men and all women are student seekers of a sense of purpose.

"At the end of the day, we all want to count and men and women will sell their souls to a leader who provides them with that strong and enduring sense of purpose.

"The second pillar is to create the culture which is necessary among the followers. By culture, I mean in very simple terms, how people individually and collectively view the world.

"The third is to work hard at making things simple in an increasingly complex world: good leaders are good simplifies.

"And the final of the four is to emphasise brilliance at the basics. Armies that fight well and go on fighting well in the most desperate of circumstances have invariably been able to do so because they are brilliant at the basics.

"By that I mean things like field craft, weapons handling and especially junior leadership and self-discipline which is the only form of discipline that really matters."

By Antony Underwood