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EXCLUSIVE: The United States Military Academy’s decision to replace its iconic mission statement of ‘duty, honor, country’ with the phrase ‘Army Values’ has sparked renewed criticism. A conservative judicial and government watchdog group accuses the academy of engaging in a cover-up linked to an agenda promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, often referred to as DEI.
On March 11, 2024, West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland publicly announced the update to the academy’s mission statement. He confirmed that while ‘Army Values’ would replace the traditional phrase, ‘duty, honor, country’ would remain the official motto, a designation it has held since 1898.
Judicial Watch, the organization challenging the mission statement alteration, secured documents through a Freedom of Information Act request. These documents include e-mails exchanged among West Point officials regarding the mission statement change.
Among the documents obtained by Judicial Watch is a memo from Gilland that outlines talking points for speakers at Founders Day. This memo, dated March 23, 2024, provides guidelines suggesting speakers avoid terms like ‘removed,’ ‘replaced,’ or ‘deleted.’ Instead, it advises them to refer to the ‘updated mission statement’ while emphasizing that the motto remains unchanged.
The memo does not directly associate the mission statement change with DEI initiatives. Nonetheless, Judicial Watch asserts that the memo implies the influence of DEI in this change. Notably, it contains a FAQ section that attempts to minimize DEI’s significance, stating that only five to eight cadets per year complete West Point’s Diversity and Inclusion Studies minor.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton expressed to Fox News Digital that the records highlight how DEI initiatives influenced the mission statement change and how leadership under the Biden administration attempted to obscure it.
In the talking points memo, Gilland encouraged speakers to counter claims suggesting the mission statement change had political motivations. He urged them to highlight the actual seven values that comprise the Army Values, informing the audience that Army Values is a defined term. The guidance discouraged direct comparisons between the old and new phrases, indicating that the two should not be viewed as mutually exclusive.
The revised term ‘Army Values’ encompasses ‘duty’ and ‘honor’ while adding other principles that include loyalty, respect, selfless service, integrity, and personal courage. Gilland noted that ‘country’ is implied within the term ‘loyalty.’
In his statement regarding the new mission statement, Gilland remarked that ‘duty, honor, country’ continues to constitute the foundation of West Point’s culture and will always be honored as the academy’s motto. An Army spokesperson referred inquiries to Gilland’s original announcement. In this statement, Gilland emphasized a commitment to developing leaders of character prepared for the challenges of modern military operations.
West Point, one of several exemplary U.S. military academies training future military officers, has a history of mission statement changes. In the past century, the mission statement has been revised nine times, with ‘duty, honor, country’ being included only since 1998.
As of March 2024, the mission statement reads as follows: ‘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.’
Before this recent change, the mission statement adopted in 2005 read: ‘To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army.’
This previous mission statement change came at the request of then-Superintendent Lt. Gen. William Lennox, with approval from former Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker.
Recently, Republican lawmakers have been vocal about restoring ‘duty, honor, country’ to West Point’s mission statement. For example, Senator Ted Cruz from Texas introduced legislation in January advocating for the reinstatement of these foundational words.
Cruz articulated a national sentiment, stating, ‘For centuries, the United States Army has set the global standard for military excellence because its leaders embrace a lifetime of selfless service and embody the values of Duty, Honor, Country. The removal of these core values from West Point’s mission statement jeopardizes the integrity of American military leadership.’
The ongoing discussions about West Point’s mission statement reflect broader debates about the influence of DEI policies within military institutions. As this issue continues to evolve, stakeholders from various perspectives are watching closely, aware that the principles instilled in future leaders shape not only military operations but also the character of the nation they serve.
