Core Values - Honor, Courage & Commitment

Honor, courage and commitment, the core values of the United States Marine Corps. The 30th Commandant, General Carl E. Mundy, Jr. wrote in a 1992 memorandum that "Marines are held to the highest standards of personal conduct. The Nation expects that from us. The personal and professional conduct, decency, integrity, and accountability of Marines must be beyond reproach. This is a non-negotiable principle." What General Mundy was talking about are the Values that Marines have displayed for over 200 years in peacetime and combat.

The core values make up the bedrock of the character of each individual Marine.  They are the foundation of his or her Corps.  These three values, handed down from generation to generation, have made the United States Marines the Warrior Elite.  The U.S. Marine Corps: the most respected and revered fighting force on earth.

Honor: Honor requires each Marine to exemplify the ultimate standard in ethical and moral conduct.  Honor is many things; honor requires many things.  A U.S. Marine must never lie, never cheat, never steal, but that is not enough.  Much more is required.  Each Marine must cling to an uncompromising code of personal integrity, accountable for his actions and holding others accountable for theirs.  And, above all, honor mandates that a Marine never sully the reputation of his Corps.

Courage: Simply stated, courage is honor in action and more. Courage is moral strength, the will to heed the inner voice of conscience, the will to do what is right regardless of the conduct of others. It is mental discipline, an adherence to a higher standard.  Courage means willingness to take a stand for what is right in spite of adverse consequences. This courage, throughout the history of the Corps, has sustained Marines during the chaos, perils, and hardships of combat. And each day, it enables each Marine to look in the mirror and smile.

Commitment: Total dedication to Corps, People and Country. Gung-ho Marine teamwork. All for one, one for all. By whatever name or cliche, commitment is a combination of (1) selfless determination and (2) a relentless dedication to excellence. Marines never give up, never give in, never willingly accept second best.  Excellence is always the goal.  And, when their active duty days are over, Marines remain reserve Marines, retired Marines, or Marine veterans.  There is no such thing as an ex-Marine or former-Marine.  Once a Marine, always a Marine. Commitment never dies.

This also applies for the Marines in the Third Fleet, wherever the Marine is in the real world or virtual world.