I was raised in a very religious
household with very traditional values.
I grew up watching John Wayne, Gunsmoke, and other western and military
movies that, while not necessarily accurate portrayals of war, strongly
emphasized the ideal of the courageous, honorable man/soldier/cowboy. As “cheesy” as those movies were, they
greatly influenced my personal core values, which are an amalgam of the various
military core values: honor, courage, devotion, respect, and service.
Merriam Webster defines Honor as
“high moral standards of behavior; a keen sense of ethical conduct.” Without honor, true leadership is
impossible. My Captain (O-6) mentioned his
theory on life during my check-in with him: “Only three things matter when you
are at the end of your life – your relationship with God, your relationship
with your family, and the honor with which you have lived your life.” Living a life with honor is not easy. My honor guides me through tough choices, often
leading me into the difficult path; when I fail, my honor condemns me for my
compromise. Every day I face another
battle to maintain that honor, but I know that without it, I cannot look my
subordinates in the eye and hold them accountable.
One of John
Wayne’s most famous lines is: “Courage is being scared to death, but saddling
up anyway.” I will be the first to admit
that I have not always taken the courageous route. Courage dictates that sometimes I take the
hard way, knowing that the end result will be worth the tribulation. Courage means that instead of running from
things I fear, whether physical danger, a personal conflict, or a painful
admission of failure, I must face them head on.
Devotion (or
commitment for the Navy/Marine Corps) means sticking with something, and can
tie in strongly with honor. During my
life, I have made many commitments: to the Coast Guard, to my wife and family,
and to God. Being devoted, defined as
“the fact of state of being ardently dedicated and loyal,” means that I will
carry those commitments through until I am no longer physically and mentally
able to do so. Devotion ties in strongly
with honor, in that my honor, my “keen sense of ethical conduct,” requires that
I keep my commitments. If I do not keep
those commitments, I have no moral standing to require others to do so.
Respect can
mean several things, but it essentially boils down to the ages-old Golden Rule:
“Treat others as you would want them to treat you.” This is something that I believe is severely
lacking in today’s society. I may not
agree with the values or personality of everyone I meet. In fact, I may object strongly to their point
of view. However, I can have a
discussion or even a debate, and still treat them with respect. I do not have to belittle or demean them; I
do not have to shout them down. I should
never treat others as if I am above them, as if my time, my money, or my
possessions are more important than theirs.
Service - a
lot of people equate service with serving in the military, but that is not
necessarily the case. I can serve in my
church, in the local community, in government, or as a first responder. The key is that I am making other people’s
lives better through my actions. Respect
and service complement each other as well.
If I truly wish to serve people, either in my community or inside my
unit, I have to first respect them enough to care about their needs, which in
turn drives my service to them.
