AR 600-20, Army Command Policy - Army Publishing Directorate ...

circumstances to the DOD Inspector General. If the allegation of reprisal is made known to any agency authorized in
this regulation to receive complaints, the agency should refer the complaint to the DOD Inspector General. It is
strongly encouraged to simultaneously report such threats or acts of reprisal to the appropriate chain of command. The
DOD Inspector General Hotline phone number is 1(800) 424–9098 or DSN 664–8799; the DOD Inspector General
Hotline email address is hotline@dodig.osd.mil-either may be used to report threats or acts of reprisal. Personnel
calling from OCONUS may dial (703) 604–8569; or, mail a letter to Department of Defense Inspector General, ATTN:
Defense Hotline, 1900 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–1900.
5–13. Human relations readiness training
a. There is an indisputable link between how Soldiers are treated and how they perform their duties. Human
relations training directly affects individual and unit readiness. Training commanders and Soldiers to treat one another
with dignity and respect achieves better morale, greater commitment, increased trust and cohesion and better performance.
The DCS, G–1, is the sole proponent for HRRT.
b. The five key training elements of HRRT are—
(1) Army policy/commander’s intent. This is the most obvious aspect of HRRT in that Soldiers must know and
understand Army human relations policy (for example, what fraternization is and is not).
(2) Prevention and intervention. The HRRT is proactive, targeting high-risk Army populations that some research
suggests are more likely to exhibit extremism in the form of racial and ethnic hatred, intolerance and discrimination.
Soldiers living in barracks and serving on peacekeeping deployments are among these high-risk Army populations.
HRRT is also interventional, responding to emergent Armywide or unit-specific human relations problems.
(3) Command climate awareness. Commanders periodically must assess their specific unit’s human relations readiness
climate in order to contextualize HRRT to the unit’s mission and personal dimensions of living and working
together.
(4) Building Soldier skills. HRRT empowers Soldiers to do the right thing. To best accomplish this, HRRT
incorporates successful and proven adult learning models (for example, group discussion of scenarios).
(5) Values. HRRT incorporates values essential to Army readiness, with “Dignity and Respect for All” as the
foundational human relations value. Other values include (but are not limited to) Army values (leadership, for
example), doing the right thing, safe environment, trust and confidence, good order and discipline, chain of command
support, fairness, and valuing differences.
5–14. Unit memorial policy
Unit memorial ceremonies and services show respect to the service of Soldiers who have died, and offer support to unit
survivors. These memorial events assist surviving Soldiers in dealing with the realities of death and honor the military
Service and the contribution the Soldier made while in uniform. The unit memorial event allows surviving Soldiers a
means for expressing their grief and assists in the healing process.
a. Command responsibilities. Commanders will conduct a memorial event (Memorial Ceremony or Memorial
Service) for every Soldier who dies while assigned to their unit, regardless of the manner of death to include suicides.
The manner of death does not negate the service and the contribution a Soldier has made while in uniform, except as
prescribed in subparagraph b, below. Commanders will also notify their supporting Casualty Assistance Center of the
time and place of unit memorial events.
b. Command exceptions. Unit commanders may request an exception to policy not to conduct a memorial event
through their command channels. The first general officer in the chain of command may approve the exception only
when the deceased Soldier—
(1) Has been convicted of a capital offense under Federal or State law for which the person was sentenced to death
or life imprisonment without parole; or
(2) Has been convicted of a serious offense, which is defined as a military or civilian offense, which if prosecuted
under the UCMJ, could be punished by confinement of 6 months or more and/or a punitive discharge; or
(3) Is found by the first general officer in the chain of command to have committed a capital offense or serious
offense, as used herein, but the deceased Soldier has not been convicted of such crime because the Soldier was not
available for trial due to his/her death.
c. Elements of the memorial events. Recognizing the military Service of the Soldier provides healing and renewal for
the living. The opportunity to provide closure for members of the unit is offered during a memorial event. The
Commander’s decision whether to conduct a Memorial Ceremony or a Memorial Service is dependent upon many
factors to include the unit mission, tactical situation, and the wishes of Family members in the local area.
(1) Memorial Ceremony. A Memorial Ceremony is a command program with a ceremonial orientation. As a
command program, attendance of Soldiers at a Memorial Ceremony may be made mandatory. Although there are
religious aspects to the memorial ceremony, such as an invocation and benediction, the major focus will be on military
tributes and honors. A Memorial Ceremony may include the following: Prelude, Posting of the Colors, National
Anthem, Invocation, Memorial Tribute, Readings, Address, Memorial Prayers, Silent Tribute or Roll Call, Music,
Benediction, Firing of Volleys, and Sounding of Taps. The Soldier’s remains are not present for this ceremony.
AR 600–20 18 March 2008
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