Soldiers arrested by police officers around base (6)
I believe the answer is:
sordid
'base' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'soldiers arrested by police officers around' is the wordplay.
'soldiers' becomes 'OR' (Other Ranks).
'arrested' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters are held or arrested).
'by police officers' becomes 'dids' (I can't justify this - if you can you should believe this answer much more).
'around' is a reversal indicator.
'dids' reversed gives 'sdid'.
'or' placed inside 'sdid' is 'SORDID'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for sordid that I've seen before include "Squalid, not honourable" , "'Sleazy, squalid (6)'" , "Morally revolting" , "Squalid, revolting" , "Mean and grubby" .)