West Point Revises Mission Statement, Changes ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ with ‘Army Values’
West Point, the esteemed military academy with over two centuries of history, recently announced a significant change to its mission statement, removing the iconic phrase “duty, honor, country,” and replacing it with “Army values.”
The change in the academy’s decades-old mission statement was announced on Monday and was approved by both the Secretary of the Army and the Army Chief of Staff. While West Point will retain “duty, honor, country” as its official motto, the revised mission statement aims to reflect a modernized perspective on the academy’s purpose.
“Our responsibility to produce leaders to fight and win our nation’s wars requires us to assess ourselves regularly,” West Point said in a statement. “Thus, over the past year and a half, working with leaders from across West Point and external stakeholders, we reviewed our vision, mission, and strategy to serve this purpose. We believe our mission binds the Academy to the Army — the Army in which our cadets will serve.”
West Point’s new mission statement will be, “To build, educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character committed to the Army Values and ready for a lifetime of service to the Army and Nation.”
However, the decision has sparked controversy and criticism from some who argue that this is a concerning change in how we view military institutions. Over the last year, many officials have become concerned that the U.S. military is drifting away from its main objectives and is instead pursuing a more “politically correct” approach to training.
U.S. Senator representing Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn, voiced these concerns, cautioning against erasing the timeless values that have guided generations of cadets
“The elimination of ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ from West Point’s mission statement is a direct reflection of undesirable shifts in our service academies,” argued Senator Blackburn. “The values that have led generations should not be erased to appeal to the cultural moment.”
