To the men and women of our Coast Guard ,
Recent reports of degrading social media posts and file sharing by some members of the armed services are troubling to us all . Our Duty to People requires Coast Guard men and women to adhere to the highest standard of personal and professional conduct on and off duty . As stewards of public trust , our collective actions must always uphold our Core Values of Honor , Respect , and Devotion to Duty .
I expect everyone in our service - active duty , reserve , civilian , and Auxiliary - to build and maintain a culture of respect . This starts with living our Core Values in word and deed and having the courage to call out any behavior that is unacceptable in our Coast Guard . If you witness disrespect to a shipmate - in person or online - don ' t condone or join in it . Our duty to people demands that we act when we see our shipmates demeaned . Don ' t be a bystander . We are a service of " by-doers " with a storied reputation for seizing on-scene initiative . This very same character trait that has become instinctive applies whether rescuing a mariner in distress or seizing the on-scene initiative when a shipmate has been demeaned and betrayed . We do the right thing . We advance a culture of respect . We report behavior that targets a shipmate , including bullying , hazing or harassment . Violations of our trust in one another have no place in our service .
I am proud of you - the world ' s best Coast Guard - and your commitment to upholding our service ' s proud 226 year history of service before self .
Admiral Paul F . Zukunft Commandant
U . S . Coast Guard Photo
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