The need of a warrior during the 21st Century is drastic, but with need comes responsibility. Every warrior needs to have proper guidance of moral principals and must understand that the most important thing that a warrior can take into combat is a reason why, a heart to continue and a mind to overcome.
It is the responsibility of each and every member in the Fighting Eleventh to ensure that they uphold themselves to the highest standard and maintain a code of professionalism and moral responsibility.
We expect everyone to treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same. To put the organization, your team and your subordinates before your own. Selfless service is larger than just one person.
Live up to our standards. We expect members to make honor a matter of daily living — members who develop the habit of being honorable, and solidify that habit with every value choice they make must do what is right, legally and morally.
These cores and values of the organization solidify on how every member, regardless of status or rank should act and behave while serving in the 11th Marine Division and should apply these guidelines both in and outside of organization activities.
Member Guidelines:
Each member of this organization must: 1. Push their mind and body to their limits.
2. Master their emotions.
3. Learn continuously.
4. Give generously.
5. Lead in good will.
6. Stand up for what they believe in, no matter the cost.
7. Know their flaws as well as they know their strengths.
8. Prove themselves through actions, not words.
9. Live everyday as if it were their last.
The 9 Virtues of a Warrior:
• Righteousness: The quality of being morally right or justifiable.
• Courage: The ability to do something that frightens one/strength in the face of pain or grief.
• Benevolence: Good will or disposition to do good, voluntary giving of help to those in need, as a humanitarian act.
• Respect: A feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.
• Sincerity: An act true about his or her own feelings, beliefs, thoughts, and desires.
• Honor: An abstract concept entailing a perceived quality of worthiness and respectability that affects both the social standing and the self-evaluation of an individual or corporate body such as a family, school, regiment or nation.
• Loyalty: A strong feeling of support or allegiance.
• Self-Control: The ability to control oneself, in particular one's emotions and desires or the expression of them in one's behavior, especially in difficult situations.
• Wisdom: The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.
Code of Conduct for Members of the United States Armed Forces
The Code of the U.S. Fighting Force is a code of conduct that is an ethics guide and a United States Department of Defense directive consisting of six articles to members of the United States Armed Forces, addressing how they should act in combat when they must evade capture, resist while a prisoner or escape from the enemy. It is considered an important part of U.S. military doctrine and tradition.
All members of the Armed Forces of the United States are expected to measure up to the standards embodied in this Code of Conduct while in combat or in captivity. To ensure achievement of these standards, members of the armed forces liable to capture shall be provided with specific training and instruction designed to better equip them to counter and withstand all enemy efforts against them, and shall be fully instructed as to the behavior and obligations expected of them during combat or captivity.
The Primary Executive Officer of the 11th Marine Division shall take such action as is deemed necessary to implement this order and to disseminate and make the said Code known to all members of the organization.
Articles of the Code of Conduct The Code of Conduct provides guidance for the behavior and actions of members of the Armed Forces of the United States. This guidance applies not only on the battlefield, but also in the event that the service member is captured and becomes a prisoner of war (POW). The Code is delineated in six articles.
Article I: I am an American, fighting in the forces which guard my country and our way of life. I am prepared to give my life in their defense.
Article II: I will never surrender of my own free will. If in command, I will never surrender the members of my command while they still have the means to resist.
Article III: If I am captured I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy.
Article IV: If I become a prisoner of war, I will keep faith with my fellow prisoners. I will give no information or take part in any action which might be harmful to my comrades. If I am senior, I will take command. If not, I will obey the lawful orders of those appointed over me and will back them up in every way.
Article V: When questioned, should I become a prisoner of war, I am required to give name, rank, service number and date of birth. I will evade answering further questions to the utmost of my ability. I will make no oral or written statements disloyal to my country and its allies or harmful to their cause.
Article VI: I will never forget that I am an American, fighting for freedom, responsible for my actions, and dedicated to the principles which made my country free. I will trust in my God and in the United States of America.
The Values of LDRSHIP
LOYALTY Bear true faith and allegiance to the United States, your unit and other members. Bearing true faith and allegiance is a matter of believing in and devoting yourself to something or someone. A loyal member is one who supports the leadership and stands up for fellow members. By wearing the uniform of the Fighting Eleventh, you are expressing your loyalty. And by doing your share, you show your loyalty to your organization.
DUTY Fulfill your obligations. Doing your duty means more than carrying out your assigned tasks. Duty means being able to accomplish tasks as part of a team. The work of the 11th Marine Division is a complex combination of missions, tasks and responsibilities — all in constant motion. Our work entails building one assignment onto another. You fulfill your obligations as a part of your unit every time you resist the temptation to take “shortcuts” that might undermine the integrity of the final product.
RESPECT Treat people as they should be treated. We pledge to “treat others with dignity and respect while expecting others to do the same.” Respect is what allows us to appreciate the best in other people. Respect is trusting that all people have done their jobs and fulfilled their duty. And self-respect is a vital ingredient with the value of respect, which results from knowing you have put forth your best effort. The Fighting Eleventh is one team and each of us has something to contribute.
SELFLESS SERVICE Put the organization, your team and your subordinates before your own. Selfless service is larger than just one person. In serving your nation, you are doing your duty loyally without thought of recognition or gain. The basic building block of selfless service is the commitment of each team member to go a little further, endure a little longer, and look a little closer to see how he or she can add to the effort.
HONOR Live up to Guidelines and Virtues of the Fighting Eleventh. The highest military award of the United States Armed Forces is The Medal of Honor. This award goes to members who make honor a matter of daily living — members who develop the habit of being honorable, and solidify that habit with every value choice they make. Honor is a matter of carrying out, acting, and living the values of respect, duty, loyalty, selfless service, integrity and personal courage in everything you do.
INTEGRITY Do what’s right, legally and morally. Integrity is a quality you develop by adhering to moral principles. It requires that you do and say nothing that deceives others. As your integrity grows, so does the trust others place in you. The more choices you make based on integrity, the more this highly prized value will affect your relationships with family and friends, and, finally, the fundamental acceptance of yourself.
PERSONAL COURAGE Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or moral). Personal courage has long been associated within our organization. With physical courage, it is a matter of enduring physical duress and at times risking personal safety. Facing moral fear or adversity may be a long, slow process of continuing forward on the right path, especially if taking those actions is not popular with others. You can build your personal courage by daily standing up for and acting upon the things that you know are honorable.