together.

The strength of the collaborative brilliance of a team that honors one another for their uniqueness while also sharing the commonality of service is a team that cant be defeated.

We have the responsibility and privilege to be in the profession of arms. The further away we get from the purpose of our existence; protecting the way of life for every American, the easier it becomes for divisive and dangerous behaviors to seep in and corrode and weaken our collective hulls.

It takes all of us being intentional and mindful about building meaningful relationships with those who are different from us. To learn, to grow and to expand our horizons and perspectives.

I think its easy to become overcome by our unconscious biases and long held false generalizations about a group of people. That’s where the the first of our core values come in; honor.

We must honor each other as people of value and significance. The act of honoring one another disarms the attitudes of exclusion.

When we forget to honor each other we must have the courage to face our own mess and acknowledge our missteps, not double down because our ego is bruised.

A great friend of mine pointed me towards a unique perspective of commitment; the degree to which a person feels as though they belong to an organization. It is our responsibility to facilitate an environment where people legitimately feel as though they belong to this great organization.

Our differences in our political preferences become irrelevant in the face of events that truly matter. When fire threatens our survival or when water begins to invade the people tank or when enemies try to do us harm, I just need to know my shipmate will be there for me.

We share more in common than we differ. Even in our differences a common thread can be drawn. Even though our favorite songs may differ, we have the same response when we hear them.