SEMPER FIDELIS "Always Faithful"
“Semper Fidelis” (“Always Faithful”) is the motto of the United States Marine Corps. That Marines have lived up to this motto is proved by the fact that there has never been a mutiny, or even the thought of one, among U.S. Marines.
Once a Marine, always a Marine! These are words that you may have heard from our military vets who served as United States Marines. Even though their watch may have officially ended, they will never stop watching.
I highly admire this code because it defines a Marine as more than a paid employee and the duty of a Marine as more than a job. A Marine doesn't stop being a Marine when the pay stops. That announces that what a Marine does is not just a job. It is a lifetime duty. And this idea as their leading motto for the whole world to hear and witness, solidifies the integrity of being a Marine.
When I train bodyguards, police officers and security, I inform them that above all else, they are a "Protector". And a "Protector" places the duty of protecting others before any and everything else including personal life. The duty to protect must be held high above all service of self, friendships, biases, favoritism, emotions, and even fear. Because once any of those reasons are placed before the duty to protect, one is no longer a protector. And worse, he or she has stained the integrity of the name Protector to all who may have witnessed the transgression.
The one who accepts the job that positions him to serve the duty of a Protector represents an expectation that stands above a paycheck, promotion, reprimand and even personal safety. The duty of the Protector is to sacrifice self where others won't, to protect even those who would never protect another. There isn't a item or gesture of man valuable enough to compensate the true duty of the Protector because the act of the Protector is as valuable as life itself. The Protector's only compensation is knowing within that he is a true Protector, unseen by most.
The lesson to take from Semper Fidelis and the United States Marines is that we must cherish carrying the title of that which we do above everything else or we are not that title. It is our job to protect the integrity of our title because it was here before us, and it will be here long after us for others. We must strengthen the name of our title to others than our name itself. Then we can carry everlasting honor for being a person who carried that title. To be called a Marine will always mean more than the birth name of any Marine in the world. We don't know their names but we sure as hell know they were and are a #$cking Marine!
The same theory exists for all titles such as a plumber, a teacher, a doctor, a mom, a boss, an athlete, a gardener, etc... We should protect and empower the integrity of the title that we carry, and that title will protect and empower us when we carry it.
And THIS, ...is a "way" of the "Warrior's Edge"! -Jermaine Andre'
