U.S. Soldier's Creed

The U.S. Soldier's Creed is a set of values and morals that all United States Army personnel are encouraged to live by. It provides a brief overview of the ethics and morals of the U.S. Army. All United States Army enlisted personnel memorize the Soldiers' Creed during Basic Training, and it is required knowledge at promotion boards to attain the rank of Sergeant and above, as well as special "Soldier of the Month" boards.

Current Version

The current version of the Soldier's Creed is a product of the "Warrior Ethos" program authorized by the then Army Chief of Staff Eric K. Shinseki in May 2003 ["Army Plans Steps to Heighten "Warrior Ethos" Washington Post, September 8, 2003 Monday] . It was first presented to senior Army leaders on June 7, 2003 [ [http://afs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/31/4/599] "Leave No Man Behind: Recovering America’s Fallen Warriors" Wong, Leonard, Armed Forces & Society, Vol. 31, No. 4, 599-622 (2005)] .The Soldiers Creed was approved in its current format by the next Army Chief of Staff Peter Schoomaker on the 24th of November of 2003. The introduction of the Soldiers Creed kicked off a campaign known as Task Force Soldier. This was a commitment by senior leadership to the soldiers of the Army. Task Force Soldier is a leadership commitment to soldiers ensuring that they are prepared for combat and embody the Warrior Ethos that is contained in the Soldiers Creed [ [http://www.smdc.army.mil/CSM/NCO_SOY/Kimbrell_NCO.html SMDC - CSM Homepage ] ] . It seems to have been discussed in Congress in a "Hearing on Army Issues" held by Senator John W. Warner on or about November 19, 2003.Fact|date=February 2007 It was first published in the magazine "Infantry" on December 22, 2003.

:I am an American Soldier.:I am a Warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.:"I will always place the mission first.":"I will never accept defeat.":"I will never quit.":"I will never leave a fallen comrade.":I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. :I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.:I am an expert and I am a professional.:I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.:I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.:I am an American Soldier.

Some soldiers shout "hooah" at the conclusion of the Soldier's Creed, but it is not included in the creed itself.

The U.S. Army Warrior Ethos is a set of standards that all U.S. Army soldiers are encouraged to live by. It is meant to be the core embodiment of the soldier's mission. It has been incorporated into the Soldier's Creed and is italicized in the text above.

Previous Versions

This version dates from the Post-Vietnam War era.

:I am an American Soldier. :I am a member of the United States Army -- a protector of the greatest nation on earth. :Because I am proud of the uniform I wear, I will always act in ways creditable to the military service and the nation it is sworn to guard.

:I am proud of my own organization. I will do all I can to make it the finest unit in the Army. :I will be loyal to those under whom I serve. I will do my full part to carry out orders and instructions given to me or my unit.

:As a soldier, I realize that I am a member of a time-honored profession--that I am doing my share to keep alive the principles of freedom for which my country stands. :No matter what the situation I am in, I will never do anything, for pleasure, profit, or personal safety, which will disgrace my uniform, my unit, or my country. :I will use every means I have, even beyond the line of duty, to restrain my Army comrades from actions disgraceful to themselves and to the uniform.

:I am proud of my country and its flag. :I will try to make the people of this nation proud of the service I represent, for I am an American Soldier.

References

External links

* [http://www.tradoc.army.mil/pao/TNSarchives/September04/092304.htm New values cards, Warrior Ethos ‘dogtags’ available to Army units]
* [http://www.army.mil/warriorethos/ Army slide show on the Soldiers Creed]