I did not join the Navy because its core values appealed to me more than did those of the other branches of the armed services. It just worked out that way.
Honor, courage, and commitment: what does the Navy really want us to do with these three words? The skipper of a carrier admonishing his crew to "Show honor, lads! Show courage! Be committed!" while landing jets is not giving helpful advice-certainly not in the same way as giving orders to set a course that will have them landing with the wind on their noses. Yet, to give those orders without attention to the core values also surely is to invite disaster.
Member-Only Content
Join the U.S. Naval Institute to gain access to this article and other articles published in Proceedings since 1874. Members receive this valuable benefit and so much more.