Honor, courage, integrity ... and President Trump

Link to tweet

https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/honor-courage-integrity-and-president-trump/

Soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines have disparate cultures that have evolved over time, of which all are rightfully proud. And yet, whether they fight on land, sea, in the air or even space, America’s fighting men and women share very similar core values. The Army, our oldest service, lists seven: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage; the Navy and Marines have three: honor, courage and commitment; the Air Force and Space Force also have three: integrity, service before self and excellence in all they do.

Regardless of service, all military members aspire to an ethos that places integrity, duty to country, courage and professional competence above all else, including themselves. That extends to the ultimate commitment they make, the willingness to lay down their lives for their nation, and especially for their fellow shipmate, wingman or battle buddy. In our uniformed services, there is no greater complement than to say, “I would go to war with you.”

How does one earn that honor? It starts with being at the top of your profession, not in terms of rank, but how well you do your job, especially under pressure. To paraphrase poet Rudyard Kipling, can you keep your head while all those about you are losing theirs? You earn it by displaying loyalty and teamwork, accepting responsibility when you fall short and sharing credit when the team succeeds. You earn it by your actions, not your words, and by demonstrating physical and moral courage.

More than anything else, saying “I would go to war with you” says I trust you with my life. I want you by my side when things get tough because I know I can count on you.

*snip*