Senator Blackburn investigates why USMA removed ‘Duty, Honor, Country’

Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee is investigating the decision made by the U.S. Military Academy to remove “Duty, Honor, Country” from its mission statement.

Recent reports indicated that West Point will no longer use the motto made famous by Gen. Douglas MacArthur in 1962.

Instead, the new mission statement will include the phrase “Army Values.”

This change was approved by Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth and Army Chief of Staff Randy George, which some critics view as West Point being influenced by woke culture.

In a letter sent on Tuesday, Blackburn addressed USMA superintendent Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland to inquire about the decision.

Blackburn stated in her letter, “Cadets have always found inspiration in ‘Duty, Honor, Country,’ a phrase that has become synonymous with the Academy. These three words serve as a sacred and patriotic reminder of our duty to defend our country with honor.”

The senator raised questions about the shift in the mission statement.

Blackburn wrote, “While ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ has been a clear and consistent goal for cadets for over sixty years, your new mission statement – ‘Army Values’ – presents a vague subject that can be altered based on cultural and personal preferences.”

She also brought up the fact that amid rising threats from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, West Point recently held a large diversity, equity, and inclusion conference, while our adversaries are planning against us.

Blackburn wants Gilland to clarify the reasons behind the revision and disclose the external stakeholders providing input on the change.

She also posed two additional questions for the superintendent:

• “How does the updated mission statement better align with the timeless principles and values that West Point has upheld for generations?”
• “What do you say to those concerned that ‘Army Values’ can be broadly interpreted to fit the ever-changing cultural climate?”

In her letter to Gilland, Blackburn referenced Gen. MacArthur’s words regarding “Duty, Honor, Country.”

Blackburn wrote, “General MacArthur said it best when he told cadets that the words ‘reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn.”