After 15 years of operations in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan where 41 soldiers died, the Australian community respects their defence force but do not much understand it.
That is the clear message from community consultations conducted across Australia before the launch of the latest defence white paper.
In the report released in Perth on Wednesday, the consultation panel says the lack of understanding was raised in almost every community meeting by people from a wide range of backgrounds.
The panel says this does not reflect a lack of goodwill or interest.
But many told the panel they did not feel they received enough information or explanation about the Australian Defence Force and defence policy.
"There was a sense that much of the public would like to know more about their defence force and defence issues generally," the report says.
The panel sought to explain how this came about.
Defence is becoming increasingly invisible to those in the big cities. Loss of local active and reserve units over the years has diminished community awareness.
Public knowledge of defence matters depends on direct contact and is highest among those with military experience, with family members in defence and in centres such as Townsville where defence is well established.
Young Australians' interest in Anzac history often does not correspond to an understanding of the present day defence force.
Many told the panel defence should be less risk averse and that negative perceptions of defence culture could be better countered if serving personnel could speak more freely of their experiences.
Australia is also compared unfavourably with some other countries, particularly the US, which conducted a program of community engagement in the Northern Territory as part of the rotation of its marines.
This was so effective that a recent media survey named the US Marines officer doing the talking as fifth most influential person in the NT.
Defence Minister Kevin Andrews said the government has heard and will act.
"As a result of these consultations and the report to us, the government, through the white paper process, will ensure with Defence that we work to address these broader concerns in the Australian community," he told reporters.
The white paper, defence's top level planning document, is set for release in August.
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