By Theodore Bunker
The U.S. Navy SEALs and the Navy Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen, or SWCC, have changed the wording of their official creed and ethos to use gender-neutral nouns in place of the previously all-male terminology.
The ethos and creed statements now omit words like “brotherhood,” which was replaced with, “group of maritime warriors,” and where the first paragraph of the SEAL ethos stated: “A common man with uncommon desire to succeed,” it now reads: “Common citizens with uncommon desire to succeed.”
Navy Special Warfare spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Stroup told the American Military News the changes were made because the previous statements no longer reflected the makeup of the Navy Special Warfare unit.
“The previous versions of the SEAL Ethos and SWCC Creed were written prior to the law allowing women to serve as operators in Naval Special Warfare. The changes do not in any way reflect lowering standards of entry, rather they ensure that all those who meet the requirements to train to become a SEAL or SWCC are represented in the ethos or creed they live out,” Stroup said.
“Naval Special Warfare continues to deliberately develop a culture of tactical and ethical excellence that reflects the nation we represent, and that draws upon the talents of the all-volunteer force who meet the standards of qualification as a SEAL or SWCC,” he added, noting “To date, no women completed the SEAL or SWCC qualification training pipelines.”
Rear Adm. Collin P. Green, head of Naval Special Warfare Command, noted the alterations were intended “to better reflect our ranks now and into the future.”
The new version of the ethos is viewable on the Naval Special Warfare Command official website, which also has an archive link that shows the original wording.
https://www.newsmax.com/us/navy-seals-creed-ethos-gender-neutral/2020/10/01/id/989860/?ns_mail_uid=82cb3fac-cd4a-40b7-9774-902e13f3e895&ns_mail_job=DM151535_10012020&s=acs&dkt_nbr=010102vyz1sm
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