Core Value: Integrity First

Integrity is a character trait. It is the willingness to do what is right even when no one is looking. It is the moral compass, the inner voice, the voice of self-control, and the basis for the trust imperative in today's military.

Integrity is the ability to hold together and properly regulate all of the elements of a personality. A person of integrity, for example, is capable of acting on conviction. A person of integrity can control impulses and appetites.

But integrity also covers several other moral traits indispensable to national service.

• Courage. A person of integrity possesses moral courage and does what is right even if the personal cost is high.
  
  
• Honesty. Honesty is the hallmark of the military professional because in the military, our word must be our bond. We don't pencil-whip training reports, we don't cover up tech data violations, we don't falsify documents, and we don't write misleading operational readiness messages. The bottom line is we don't lie, and we can't justify any deviation.
  
  
• Responsibility. No person of integrity is irresponsible; a person of true integrity acknowledges his or her duties and acts accordingly.
  
  
• Accountability. No person of integrity tries to shift the blame to others or take credit for the work of others; "the buck stops here" says it best.
  
  
• Justice. A person of integrity practices justice. Those who do similar things must get similar rewards or similar punishments.
  
  
• Openness. Professionals of integrity encourage a free flow of information within the organization. They seek feedback from all directions to ensure they are fulfilling key responsibilities, and they are never afraid to allow anyone at any time to examine how they do business.
  
  
• Self-respect. To have integrity also is to respect oneself as a professional and a human being. A person of integrity does not behave in ways that would bring discredit upon himself or the organization to which he belongs.
  
  
• Humility. A person of integrity grasps and is sobered by the awesome task of defending the Constitution of the United States of America.
  
  

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