The Importance Of Speech Codes In The Military

Speech codes exist for a reason but to justify their restrictions on the first amendment they must be applied and enforced properly. Speech codes were made to create an environment where everyone would feel equal. Where they wouldn’t deal with hate or discrimination based off of their race, religion, sex, gender, or sexual orientation. An environment where each individual can focus on the task at hand and come together with purpose and drive, working as a collective group to achieve a common goal. There is no better example of speech codes implemented with purpose and executed with precision than the United States Military.

In the military, you have people from all walks of life: Old/young, poor/rich, gay/straight, with every race, color,

It is a necessary component helping to keep the well-oiled military machine intact through unit cohesion. If we want to work as a single-minded unit then we have to make sure that everyone is on the same page. I need to look at the person next to me and know that he is my brother and bears no ill will towards me. He won’t tolerate unethical behavior that could impede the mission or cohesion of our unit.

Before I received the title of veteran I had to earn my place in the military. To do that I had to go to Navy Boot Camp where they taught me the foundation and fundamentals I needed to transform from an immature nineteen-year-old to a United States Navy Sailor. It is at RTC (Recruit Training Command) Great Lakes that this transformation began with The Navy’s Core Values of honor, courage, and commitment. These three principles play a huge role in interpreting, abiding by, and enforcing the military’s policies on speech and ethical

It doesn’t matter if I have honor and courage if I’m not committed to the fight then those qualities are being wasted. In fact, if we don’t stay committed then we are guaranteed to lose the fight. There would be no point in rules and regulations if no one was committed to seeing them implemented and enforced. Without commitment the whole system of the navy’s core values would unravel in an instant. Commitment is the core value responsible for ensuring that we choose to act with honor and courage in the adverse situations that life presents.

Being raised in a Christian home and school taught me from a young age to treat people with respect and dignity. But it wasn’t until I joined the military that my perspective on ethical behavior was challenged. The navy’s core values gave me a set of principles that defined how ethical behavior including speech codes should be carried out. When it comes to speech codes in the military we are taught to interact with people in the right way, not because doing the opposite gets you in trouble, but because it is the right thing to