Our Core Values are the foundation of all we do, and they are enduring. They are also deeply personal to each member of our organization. As we strive to embody our Core Values every day, we should continually seek to deepen our understanding of them. Over the past year, we have undertaken a comprehensive initiative called "Strengthening Service Culture Through Our Core Values." As part of this effort, we trained a diverse group of Coast Guard members to serve as Core Values Field Experts. These experts conducted over 300 in-depth interviews across all levels and areas of our service to learn how our workforce thinks about our values, how people define them, and what behaviors they see as supporting these values.

By collecting and analyzing these rich stories and insights from across the Coast Guard, we have been able to develop an updated and more nuanced understanding of our Core Values. This process has allowed us to create draft definitions that reflect how our values are lived and experienced throughout our organization today. We are now excited to share these draft definitions with you and invite your input as we work to refine and finalize this important framework that will guide our culture and decision-making in the years ahead.