‘Duty, Honor, Country’ dropped from West Point military academy mission statement

The slogan, which was added to the academy's mission statement in 1998, will remain its motto.

"Duty, Honor, Country is foundational to the United States Military Academy's culture and will always remain our motto," Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland wrote in a statement. "It defines who we are as an institution and as graduates of West Point. These three hallowed words are the hallmark of the cadet experience and bind the Long Gray Line together across our great history."

He explained, however, that "over the past year and a half, working with leaders from across West Point and external stakeholders, we reviewed our vision, mission, and strategy," and came to the conclusion that the mission statement be altered.

"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," the new statement reads.

Gilland went on to note that both the Secretary of the Army and Army Chief of Staff approved the change.

"Our updated mission statement focuses on the mission essential tasks of Build, Educate, Train, and Inspire the Corps of Cadets to be commissioned leaders of character, with the explicit purpose of being committed to the Army Values and Ready for a lifetime of service," he continued. "The Army Values include Duty and Honor, and Country is reflected in Loyalty, bearing truth faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit, and other Soldiers."

He pointed out that over the past century, West Point's mission statement has changed a total of nine times, and that, "many graduates will recall the mission statement they learned as new cadets did not include the motto, as Duty, Honor, Country was first added to the mission statement in 1998."