[djmcmath]

I think 3, 4, and 5, could be summarized as "Integrity." Be who you say you are, whether anyone's watching or not.

The Navy does a lot of brainwashi -- uh, training on this sort of thing. We're down to three "core values" right now. While they aren't perfect, it's a good starting point.

Honor: Conduct ourselves in the highest ethical manner in all relationships with peers, superiors and subordinates; Be honest and truthful in our dealings with each other, and with those outside the Navy; Be willing to make honest recommendations and accept those of junior personnel; Encourage new ideas and deliver the bad news, even when it is unpopular; Abide by an uncompromising code of integrity, taking responsibility for our actions and keeping our word; Fulfill or exceed our legal and ethical responsibilities in our public and personal lives twenty-four hours a day. Illegal or improper behavior or even the appearance of such behavior will not be tolerated. We are accountable for our professional and personal behavior. We will be mindful of the privilege to serve our fellow Americans.

Courage: courage to meet the demands of our profession and the mission when it is hazardous, demanding, or otherwise difficult; Make decisions in the best interest of the navy and the nation, without regard to personal consequences; Meet these challenges while adhering to a higher standard of personal conduct and decency; Be loyal to our nation, ensuring the resources entrusted to us are used in an honest, careful, and efficient way. Courage is the value that gives us the moral and mental strength to do what is right, even in the face of personal or professional adversity.

Commitment: Demand respect up and down the chain of command; Care for the safety, professional, personal and spiritual well-being of our people; Show respect toward all people without regard to race, religion, or gender; Treat each individual with human dignity; Be committed to positive change and constant improvement; Exhibit the highest degree of moral character, technical excellence, quality and competence in what we have been trained to do. The day-to-day duty of every Navy man and woman is to work together as a team to improve the quality of our work, our people and ourselves.



...And I look back over this and say, "This is Man's measure of himself. What is God's measure?" ... The answer only takes a second, and it's not going to be popular here. Love. Jesus said that the greatest commandment was love -- first, love God, and second, in the same breath, love your neighbor as yourself. Paul tells us in his letter to Corinth that without love, we are nothing. And when he wrote to Ephesus on marriage, his command was "Husbands, love your wives."

Ah, but the great one-hit theologian of the 80's, Haddaway, asked the critical question: "What is love? Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more .... what is love?"