Our Core Values of Courage Honor and Commitment
Our Core Values of Courage Honor and Commitment are the bedrock of a Marine’s character. This is achieved by instructing every recruit the same way. Constantly drilled and tested, these values become ingrained in the recruits. When recruits transition into Marines they will carry these values with them though out their career. Even after, these values hold true in one shape or form, until death. Our Core Values of Courage Honor and Commitment are the flesh and bones that make up our Warrior Culture. These Core Values have seen us through the most dire situations on the field of battle. Without the values that are ingrained in every Marine since our infancy as Warriors, we would never act on one accord. As a fighting organization, Congress would have pulled the plug on our beloved Corps years ago. This is our story, or culture, our values
Courage
Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the strength to overcome that fear. This is obtained by holding the mission and your fellow Marines in a higher regard than yourself. Without the courage to follow this Core Value, the other two would be meaningless. Each value supports one another. Through these Marines are able to achieve great success in combat. This Core Value exists in more than one aspect to a Warrior’s threefold nature. There is physical, mental, and spiritual/moral courage. A Warrior cannot operate effectively on the field of battle unless they culture all three types of Courage. This Courage, though intangible, manifests itself daily in a Marine’s life. Without Courage a Marine would not have the spirit it takes to proceed and take action through insurmountable odds.
Honor
The Core Value of Honor is acts as a moral compass for Marines. The Honor for your country, your Corps, your brothers and self will keep a Marine on the straight path. A Marine knows not to lie,cheat, or steal. A Marine knows that personal integrity solidifies their character. Integrity is doing what is right, because it is right, even when no one is looking! Without integrity on the field of battle we would not hold the spiritual and moral high-ground necessary to defeat the enemies of our country. In these days of modern COIN warfare it is a necessity to win the hearts and minds of the people. For every enemy you kill upon the field of battle, not holding the moral high-ground, you will create 5-10 more enemies. We have seen this across the board in different wars the United States was engaged in. It was the genius of General Petraeus and Mad-Dog Mattis that updated the entirety of US COIN (Counterinsurgency) TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Practices). In the words of Mad-Dog Mattis, “Be polite, be professional, and have a plan to kill everyone you meet.” In a sense he is saying, be honorable, yet also be ready to off anyone that so much as poses a threat! SEMPER!
Commitment
Commitment is the dedication to something greater than oneself. As a Marine it is vital to be physically, mentally, and morally Committed to the United States Corps! Commitment is the determination that drives Marines to succeed in any and damned near ALL endeavors. Without Commitment there would be no fuel to drive mission success. Furthermore Commitment is the glue that binds the Marine Corps together. Without Commitment, the Marine Corps would not be the fighting force it is today. We would be divided, self-serving, and highly complacent. This is not the case. US Marines are committed to a force highly greater then them themselves. It is this Commitment that inspires Marines to give up their very life, for that of their fellow Marine without thinking twice about it.
Core Values
Finally Our Core Values of Courage Honor and Commitment give us direction and guidance proving that they are a solid foundation of inward character. They will stay at the core of our being until our death. In retrospect our Core Values may not have been formerly established until years after our Corps birth. However there is no doubt that our Core Values were unsaid, yet widely understood, precepts that were endowed in some of the earliest US Marines to ever serve our beloved Corps. The words and actions of the Marines that came before us no doubt have the most profound effect upon us today, and the Marines that will be born as the future of our Corps!
Why I Fight
I know why I fight. It isn’t for patriotism, or love of Corps. I fight for my Marine brother to the left of me, and to the right of me. Nowhere else does Core Values come into play than when you are in the company of brothers. It is for this love of brother that Marines and Navy Corpsman would run through a hail-storm of lead for one another.
What We Fight For
What We Fight For is our nation’s interest and our nation’s security. Each Marine that has given their life upon the battlefield is forever immortalized in Marine Corp’s legend. We as Marines walk in the shadows of the giants before us. Those after us also have large boots to fill. It is this that perpetuates our Corps legacy throughout the ages!