Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Do The Right Thing

Mike Mullen in GQ Mag
"Can you be courteous in the face of an insult? Will you be harsh when your own treatment’s, unkind? Can you be compassionate when cruelty finds you? And will you be upright, when you or those you love are victimized? That is when you have to reach deep and take full measure of the content of your character. That is when you have to rely on your honor, your courage, your commitment, – core values that guide us in the Navy – and resolutely, persistently do the right thing."

Admiral Mike Mullen
while Chief of Naval Operations in 2007
at

5 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 17, 2012 at 6:52 AM

    "No matter how I look at this issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens. For me personally, it comes down to integrity—theirs as individuals and ours as an institution."

    Is he saying he lacked integrity for the first 30 years of his Navy career? Honor - courage - commitment? Not Mikey Mullen.

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  2. Sailor FirstJanuary 17, 2012 at 12:12 PM

    I never had to lie about who I was. I worked with some rather enlightened sailors, officers and chiefs. They knew I was gay. It never mattered. I didn't flaunt it, I just worked hard and lived my life. I never kissed my partner at the pier before and I won't now. It's unprofessional. And, I think that is what saved me. I was always a professional and my shipmates respected that. I am not a gay sailor. I am a sailor who happens to be gay.

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  3. chief torpedomanJanuary 18, 2012 at 10:59 AM

    If Admiral Mullen had any integrity at all, he would have fought to kill stupid programs like the LCS long ago.

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  4. Justin Rogers ENS, USN (1170)January 18, 2012 at 12:39 PM

    In the words of my former Supe @USNA, Jeff Fowler, doing the right thing is tough if change is required and tough if others feel differently. In my experience, it's always, always easier to bitch about superiors, but once you get out in a similar situation, you realize the challenges.

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  5. AnonymousJanuary 20, 2012 at 3:21 AM

    Captain Lambert,

    When it comes down to it, if one does take National security, force readiness and morale of the troops into consideration, but instead caters to minority opinion maybe it is not the right thing?

    Very Respectfully,
    Navyman834

    ReplyDelete