Navy Pitches Draft Ethos Statement
I guess somebody figured out that Sailor’s Creed just isn’t what it was meant to be. In the light of this revelation, the Navy has released a message announcing the collaborative development of a statement that captures the core principles of the service. Here’s the purpose, in Big Navy’s words:
FORMALLY DEFINED, ETHOS GENERALLY IDENTIFIES THE DISTINGUISHING CHARACTER, CULTURE, OR GUIDING BELIEFS OF A PERSON, GROUP, OR INSTITUTION. THE PURPOSE OF THE NAVY ETHOS STATEMENT IS TO COMMUNICATE AND EMPHASIZE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES AND VALUES WE WOULD EXPECT TO BE SHARED BY ALL WHO SERVE WITHIN THE NAVY TEAM, MILITARY AND CIVILIAN ALIKE, NO MATTER WHAT COMMUNITY, COMMAND, SPECIALTY, OR POSITION EACH OF US ARE ASSOCIATED WITH.
First, before I get to the meat, good on ‘em for engaging everyone in it’s development. When the Sailor’s Creed came out, the reaction on the deck plates was, sad to say, “Who wrote that?”
So, without further ado, here’s what being proposed as a first draft of sorts:
We are the men and women of the United States Navy — guardians of American sea power and maritime security.
We are Active Duty, Reserve, and Civilian professionals — a diverse, elite and agile force who aspire to the highest standards of service to our Nation, at home and abroad, at sea and ashore.
We are a disciplined and well-prepared team, committed to mission accomplishment on sea, land, air, and space. We are unwavering in our dedication and accountability to our fellow Sailors and Civilians.
We are patriots, forged by the Navy’s core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. Our proud heritage, tradition and deep resolve serve as our battle anthem.
Integrity is the foundation of our conduct; respect for others is fundamental to our character; bold leadership is crucial to our success.
We will prevail in the face of adversity with strength, determination, and dignity.
We are the United States Navy!
First, I thought we did away with the distinction between active and reserve Sailors. Last time I checked, every Sailor carried a “U.S. Navy” after his or her name. That “USNR” tag is supposed to be a thing of the past, so why bring it up again?
Second, KILL THE BUZZWORDS!!! “Diverse” and “respect for others” ought to be synonymous with “American”, period.
Third, Sailors are not guardians of sea power, we’re instruments of sea power. We’re guardians of the Constitution and the country whose course it directs.
Fourth, why include the civilians? This is not a gripe, it’s just a request to explain the rationale before I make a judgement.
Fifth, look up “anthem” in the dictionary and pick a new word to go with “battle”. Please.
Fifth and last, a point on resonance. If Big Navy really wants this thing to work and tradition is important, the ethos needs to encapsulate ideas and values that all the great Sailors in our history would be proud to recite. Would John Paul Jones, Oliver Hazard Perry, David Farragut and “Bull” Halsey want to recite this? I wonder….
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Bio: I am currently a Professor of Security Studies, hold a BS in Management and an MA in National Security Studies, and am pursuing an MA in Systematic and Philosophical Theology. I've written for Navy Times, Proceedings, Armed Forces Journal and a number of blogs. As a 24-year veteran of the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserve, I attained the rank of Commander, deployed five times for four different conflicts and served as a Foreign Area Officer and a Surface Warfare Officer. During my 7 years in the private sector, I worked in the fields of information technology and publishing, and even ran for public office once.
May 6th, 2008 at 00:34
Judas H. Priest — time for some barnacle-encrusted staff pukes to be chisled away from the pier and put to sea or sent on an IA. Preferably long ones. I mean, really… how can one be a guardian of the very instrumentality that one employs to protect …what? Wouldn’t know it was these United States the way that lead off line is written. And “diverse, elite…blah…blah…blah” *gag* what ever happened to give me a fast ship to sail in harm’s way?
I dare say a Butch O’Hare, Red Carmody, or Jim Stockdale would recite the above either…
Makes me wonder – are we really a Service at war?
- SJS
May 6th, 2008 at 01:08
That really isn’t the draft …. is it? YMBFK. BTW, I posted on this earlier on today when I returned from places Sid thinks he knows about … YMBFK…..
May 6th, 2008 at 01:28
I can’t make this up.
Well, maybe I could, but I wouldn’t besmirch my reputation for such petty thrills.
May 6th, 2008 at 02:17
[...] at his Yankee Sailor blog, Chris Avery has a bit up about a proposal to revise the Sailor’s Creed. Well intended, I’m sure, and great good fun for them as go in for such things. For his own [...]
May 6th, 2008 at 02:42
My thirty second edit of this turd.
We are the United States Navy — the instrument of American sea power.
We are professionals — an elite and agile force serving our Nation.
We are a disciplined and committed to mission accomplishment. We are unwavering in our dedication and accountability to our shipmates.
We are patriots.
We will prevail in the face of adversity with strength, determination, and overwhelming force.
We are the United States Navy!
May 6th, 2008 at 03:03
CDR Ernest Evans, upon commissioning the USS JOHNSTON (DD557), pretty much sums up “Navy Ethos” for me:
“This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go in harm’s way, and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.”
Recall that this ethos was further exemplified at the Battle Off Samar.
May 6th, 2008 at 04:10
And what of Ernest Evans? John McCain? James Stockdale?
Do “these people” (I cannot name them as I’m not sure exactly who is responsible for this malarkey) understand that attempting to codify something in this way is the reason why someone invented the phrase “it’s better to let sleeping dogs lie”?
Makes me sad. I can hardly think of this as being completely harmless. The unfortunate part is that they’ll likely take input from the syncophants, set up a nice little echo chamber, convince themselves of their moral and mental superiority, and then blamo — one more thing we’re going to memorize to make some brass hat happy.
Lovely.
Please tell me we didn’t spend funding originally intended for aircraft or ship parts on this. Actually, just tell me this was done for free, that way I don’t have to face the ugly truth that someone just bought the Edsel and now us Fleet people have to pay the note.
May 6th, 2008 at 04:29
The whole “Ethos” listed here sounds like the kind of propaganda one would hear sung by Chinese school children upon the occasion of a visit by a communist party leader to their school house. It is vague, bland, boring, lengthy and insincere. The page describing what is being sought says, “In short, we’re looking to capture those tenants, ideals and guiding principles that drive us to succeed and that further define who we are as a naval force.” Short is good. Precision is key. You don’t need a bunch of fancy words and politically correct all inclusive blather to define who we are and what we do. The Core Values already state what we believe. The Sailors Creed already fulfills the requirements of defining a U.S. Navy sailor whether they be in blue or khaki. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines ethos as “The distinguishing character, sentiment, moral nature, or guiding beliefs of a person, group, or institution.” We already have this with the two documents listed above. If the creation of an “Ethos” is absolutely mandatory, then for God’s sake, make it clear. Make it powerful. Make it mean something because the “ethos” shown here doesn’t make me proud. It doesn’t make me feel like a warrior. It makes me feel like part of a corporation. A sea-going Wal-Mart.
May 6th, 2008 at 07:02
Someone please explain to the Old Retired First Class Petty Officer what “ethos” is. Please.
I am not up on my trendy definitions.
May 6th, 2008 at 08:17
Sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea. Ships exist to put ordnance on target.
Our job is to control the sea surface, subsurface and the skies above and project power inland and to deter threats from any source.
Our job is not to sit around headquarters parsing phrases and wordsmithing platitudes that add no value to our Navy.
We need more ships, and need them now. We need more training. We don’t need more of this foolishness from shorebound idiots who are not contributing to fleet growth or readiness.
The OPNAV office wasting time on nonsense like this should be number one target on the next BRAC list, or every billet there should be gapped indefinitely and their phones and email disconnected. Send them all on IA assignments, or early retirement, or at least early liberty so they don’t bother REAL sailors with this bilge barf again.
May 6th, 2008 at 15:44
I thought the whole PC craze in the military went away with the Clinton administration. Did they really have to throw in “diverse” into the creed, seems like it should go without say.
May 6th, 2008 at 16:31
“Civilians” because that is part of the “Total Far-uh, Force” Just ask anyone in N1
May 6th, 2008 at 21:24
I think it should be something like this:
“Me Mother was a mermaid, me father was King Neptune. I was born on the crest of a wave and rocked in the cradle of the deep. Seaweed and barnacles are me clothes. Every tooth in me head is a marlinspike; the hair on me head is hemp. Every bone in me body is a spar, and when I spits, I spits tar! I’se hard, I is, I am, I are!”
May 6th, 2008 at 22:18
That’s the Shellback’s Creed, I think….
May 16th, 2008 at 05:05
I’m a Navy civilian worker and this sounds like a load of horse manure to me. I don’t think civilians should be mentioned at all. If the Spanish armada sends battleships up the Mississippi, launching shells at my office, I sure as hell won’t be showing up for work that day and my phone will be off the hook. I’m no professional, I’m a paper pushing file stuffer, not by choice but by job duty.
May 18th, 2008 at 19:16
One of my old Skippers, a great leader and Sailor said it best:
“We exist to kill the bad guys and break their toys.”
I think that is a warrior’s ethos.
Far too many MBA’s running (and ruining) our Navy. I recall a day, and yearn for its return when we made decisions based on experience and instinct not on business rules and metrics. I thought we were into “destruction” not “construction.”
May 20th, 2008 at 19:22
[...] been contemplating an update on this topic, but I haven’t had the time to collect and record my thoughts. Regular reader Granth, [...]