The Sailor's Creed is a code of ethics of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
, originally developed for the promotion of personal excellence.
While other regulations, codes, and standards may apply to the
United States Armed Forces writ large, the Sailor's Creed is specific to the Navy. It focuses on self-respect, respect for others, and the Navy's core values of honor, courage, and commitment. Recited by units almost daily, the Sailor's Creed reinforces the notion that personnel are sailors first (i.e., before their
rating) and seeks to build
esprit de corps
Morale ( , ) is the capacity of a group's members to maintain belief in an institution or goal, particularly in the face of opposition or hardship. Morale is often referenced by authority figures as a generic value judgment of the willpower ...
throughout the Navy as a whole.
History
Original version
The first version of the Sailor's Creed came from an idea in 1986 by Admiral James D. Watkins,
Chief of Naval Operations, to form a group that would create a Code of Ethics for the Navy. The result of this meeting at the
Naval War College
The Naval War College (NWC or NAVWARCOL) is the staff college and "Home of Thought" for the United States Navy at Naval Station Newport in Newport, Rhode Island. The NWC educates and develops leaders, supports defining the future Navy and associa ...
was the eight-point ''The Navy Uniform'', and was later scaled down to a shorter version called the Sailor's Creed.
The original text was as follows:
Current version
The current version of the Sailor's Creed was a product of many Blue Ribbon Recruit Training Panels in 1993 at the direction of
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...
Frank B. Kelso II, Chief of Naval Operations. It has been revised twice, once in 1994 under the direction of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral
Jeremy Boorda, changing "bluejacket" to "Navy", and again in 1997, changing "my superiors" to "those appointed over me." These changes were made to make the creed inclusively descriptive of all hands.
[
] The creed is taught and recited in boot camp typically before
taps, and at some officer accession programs.
[
]
See also
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Rifleman's Creed
The Rifleman's Creed (also known as My Rifle and The Creed of the United States Marine) is a part of basic United States Marine Corps doctrine. Major General William H. Rupertus wrote it during World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor ...
*
Airman's Creed
The Airman's Creed is a creed for members of the U.S. Air Force. It was introduced in 2007 by General T. Michael Moseley, Chief of staff (military), Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. In a letter introducing the creed, Moseley wrote that one of ...
*
Soldier's Creed
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Quartermaster Creed
*
Ranger Creed
The Ranger Creed is the official creed of the United States Army Rangers. The Ranger Creed was written in 1974 by CSM Neal R. Gentry, the original command sergeant major of the reactivated 1st Ranger Battalion. It was initiated by the Battalion ...
*
Creed of the United States Coast Guardsman
*
Noncommissioned officer's creed
The U.S. Army Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer, otherwise known as the Noncommissioned Officer's Creed, and commonly shortened to the NCO creed, is a tool used in the United States Army to educate and remind enlisted leaders of their responsib ...
References
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United States Navy
Warrior code