The US Military Academy at West Point is removing its “Duty, Honor, Country” motto from its mission statement and replacing it with the phrase “Army Values,” a move that critics are characterizing as “woke.”
“Duty, Honor, Country” has been the motto since 1898. While the motto itself will remain the same, the new mission statement will read in full:
“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 change was referenced in a letter by Superintendent Lieutenant General Steve Gilland, who claimed the decision was made during a routine assessment of the school.
“Our responsibility to produce leaders to fight and win our nation’s wars requires us to assess ourselves regularly,” Gilland said.
“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.”
But right-of-center critics are suspicious, arguing that the removal of the word “country” in particular and the replacement of it with the abstract and universal word “values” conveys a globalist sentiment.
“West Point announced they’ve gone full globalist,” said FOX and Friends co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. “Purposely tanking recruitment of young Americans [sic] patriots to make room for the illegal mercenaries.”
Radio host Jeff Kuhner wrote, “West Point is going woke. We’re watching the slow death of our country. Gen. MacArthur is rolling in his grave.”
In a statement to the New York Post, West Point spokesperson Col. Terence Kelly said: “Duty Honor Country is West Point’s motto and the foundation of our culture as it has been since 1898,” Kelley said. “As we have done nine times in the past century, we have updated our mission statement to now include the Army Values, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.”
West Point is a storied institution in American culture, first conceived of by Founding Fathers Henry Knox and Alexander Hamilton. Among its graduates, it counts such iconic figures of American history as Union Generals George G. Meade, William Tecumseh Sherman, Ulysses S. Grant, George B. McClellan, and George A. Custer, Confederate Generals Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee (who are not mentioned on the West Point website), WWI Commander John J. Pershing, and WWII Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and George S. Patton Jr.
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