Navy’s final ethos statement hits familiar themesBy Mark D. Faram and Philip Ewing - Staff writers
Posted : Wednesday Nov 5, 2008 17:33:22 EST
Six months after the Navy began asking for suggestions on a new service-wide “ethos,” officials have approved a statement that lays down a set of familiar principles for both sailors and civilian employees.
The ethos, expected to be released this week, includes the Navy’s “core values” of honor, courage and commitment; calls the sea service a “diverse, agile force;” and vows not to waver “in our dedication and accountability to our shipmates and families.”
The statement complements, but does not replace, the Navy’s current set of affirmations, including the Sailor’s Creed and its definition of the word “shipmate,” Navy spokesman Cmdr. Cappy Surette said.
The Navy envisions that the ethos being used at training commands and as a personal reference, “serving as an enduring statement that shapes our reputation and defines what makes us different, proud and relevant as a naval force,” Surette said. The statement is the product of suggestions and submissions from “thousands” of sailors and civilians, he said, who contributed their views through a special Navy Web site and at 22 town hall meetings that took place May through June.
The Navy also received 7,000 responses to a sailor-only survey on an early draft ethos, which set the template for a series of simple declarations, some of which endured in the final form. More than 75 percent of respondents supported the draft ethos, Surette said, and more than half offered specific comments.
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