Navy Core Values

Department of the Navy Core Values Charter

As in our past, we are dedicated to the Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment to build the foundation of trust and leadership upon which our strength is based and victory is achieved. These principles on which the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps were founded continue to guide us today. Every member of the Naval Service – active, reserve, and civilian, must understand and live by our Core Values. For more than two hundred years, members of the Naval Service have stood ready to protect our nation and our freedom. We are ready today to carry out any mission, deter conflict around the globe, and if called upon to fight, be victorious. We will be faithful to our Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment as our abiding duty and privilege.

“HONOR”

I am accountable for my professional and personal behavior. I will be mindful of the privilege I have to serve my fellow Americans. I will:

• Abide by an uncompromising code of integrity, taking full responsibility for my actions and keeping my word.
• Conduct myself in the highest ethical manner in relationships with seniors, peers and subordinates.
• Be honest and truthful in my dealings within and outside the Department ofthe Navy.
• Make honest recommendations to my seniors and peers and seek honest recommendations from junior personnel.
• Encourage new ideas and deliver bad news forthrightly.
• Fulfill my legal and ethical responsibilities in my public and personal life.

“COURAGE”

Courage is the value that gives me the moral and mental strength to do what is right, with confidence and resolution, even in the face of temptation or adversity. I will:

• Have the courage to meet the demands of my profession.
• Make decisions and act in the best interest of the Department of the Navy and the nation, without regard to personal consequences.
• Overcome all challenges while adhering to the highest standards of personal conduct and decency.
• Be loyal to my nation by ensuring the resources entrusted to me are used in an honest, careful and efficient way.

“COMMITMENT”

The day-to-day duty of every man and woman in the Department of the Navy is to join together as a team to improve the quality of our work, our people and ourselves. I will:

• Foster respect up and down the chain of command.
• Care for the personal and spiritual well-being of my people.
• Show respect toward all people without regard to race, religion or gender.
• Always strive for positive change and personal improvement.
• Exhibit the highest degree of moral character, professional excellence, quality, and competence in all that I do.

Source: Secretary of the Navy