SAILOR'S CREED

 

 

I am a United States Sailor.

I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America
and I will obey the orders of my superiors.

I represent the fighting spirit of the Navy and all who have gone before me
to defend freedom and democracy around the world.

I proudly serve my country’s Navy combat team with
Honor, Commitment and Courage.

I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.

 


 

The“Sailor’s Creed” was written by a “Blue Ribbon Recruit Training Panel” in 1993 at the direction of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Frank Kelso, who personally participated in the final edit of the working group's proposal. Admiral Kelso then directed that every recruit be given a copy and required to commit it to memory. In 1994, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jeremy Boorda approved a minor change which made the creed inclusively descriptive of all hands. The change involved replacing the word “bluejacket” with "Navy," which describes the lowest enlisted rate, E-1, through the highest officer rank, O-10. In today's Navy, the Sailor's Creed is memorized by all personnel in boot camp and has been incorporated in officer training as well.

All of the personnel in the uniform of Naval Service are Sailors first and in addition, they are officers, chiefs, petty officers - aviators, Seabees, surface warriors and submariners. This is an important point impacting unity and esprit de corps.

http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/creed.htm

Sources:

Faram, Mark D. "Pledge Has Found Place in Boot Camp, Academy and Training Schools." Navy Times 54, no. 27 (April 4, 2005): 10.

"From My Perspective...Sailor's Creed." Direct Line [newsletter of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy] (1997): 22. [A copy of this article is located in the Navy Department Library's "Creed" vertical file.].