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 THOSE APPOINTED OVER ME.
I REPRESENT THE FIGHTING SPIRIT OF THE NAVY AND THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE ME TO DEFEND FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY AROUND THE WORLD.
I PROUDLY SERVE MY COUNTRY’S NAVY COMBAT TEAM WITH HONOR, COURAGE, AND COMMITMENT.
I AM COMMITTED TO EXCELLENCE AND THE FAIR TREATMENT OF ALL.

History

Original version

The first version of the Sailor's Creed came from an idea in 1986 by Admiral James D. Watkins, Chief of Naval Operations, to form a group that would create a Code of Ethics for the Navy. The result of this meeting at the Naval War College was the eight-point The Navy Uniform, and was later scaled down to a shorter version called the Sailor's Creed. The original text was as follows:

Current version

The current version of the Sailor's Creed was a product of many Blue Ribbon Recruit Training Panels in 1993 at the direction of Admiral Frank B. Kelso II, Chief of Naval Operations. It has been revised twice; once in 1994 under the direction of Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jeremy Boorda, and again in 1997. These changes were made to make the creed inclusively descriptive of all hands.
The creed is taught and recited in boot camp and at some officer accession programs.