Personal Development

When you speak these words, you will take your place alongside every other American Sailor and become part of a tradition that extends back more than two centuries.

Honor: When we say “bear true faith and allegiance,” we are promising to:

• Conduct ourselves in the highest ethical manner in all relationships
• Deal honestly and truthfully with others
• Make honest recommendations and accept those of those junior to us
• Encourage new ideas and deliver the bad news, even when it is unpopular
• Abide by an uncompromising code of integrity, taking responsibility for our actions and keeping our word
• Fulfill or exceed our legal and ethical responsibilities in our public and personal lives 24 hours a day
• Be mindful of the privilege to serve our fellow Americans

Courage: When we say “support and defend,” we are promising to:

• Meet the demands of our profession and the mission when it is hazardous, demanding or otherwise difficult
• Make decisions in the best interest of the Navy and the nation, without regard to personal consequences
• Meet all challenges while adhering to a higher standard of personal conduct and decency
• Be loyal to our nation, ensuring the resources entrusted to us are used in an honest, careful and efficient way
• Have the moral and mental strength to do what is right, even in the face of personal or professional adversity

Commitment: When we say “obey the orders,” we are promising to:

• Demand respect up and down the chain of command
• Care for the safety, professional, personal, and spiritual well-being of the people entrusted to us
• Show respect toward all people without regard to race, religion or gender
• Treat each individual with human dignity
• Be committed to positive change and constant improvement
• Exhibit the highest degree of moral character, technical excellence, quality, and competence in what we have been trained to do
• Work together as a team to improve the quality of our work, our people, and ourselves

These are the Core Values of the United States Navy.