West Point decision to cut 'duty, honor, country' from mission statement under fire again

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EXCLUSIVE: A United States Military Academy mission statement swap from "duty, honor, country" to "Army Values" is coming under fire again - this time by a conservative judicial and government watchdog group who claims the school engaged in a "cover up" scheme when it altered its mission statement in 2024 as part of an effort to advance a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda. 

On March 11, 2024, West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland publicly announced that West Point would update its mission and insert the term "Army Values" in lieu of "duty, honor, country." Even so, Gilland stressed that "duty, honor, country" would remain West Point's motto as it has been since 1898. 

Judicial Watch obtained documents via a Freedom of Information Act request seeking all emails regarding the removal of "duty, honor, country" from the mission statement between officials at West Point. 

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Among the documents Judicial Watch obtained is a document from Gilland detailing mission statement talking points for Founders Day speakers that was sent on March 23, 2024. The memo instructs speakers to "AVOID saying 'removed,' 'replaced,' 'deleted'-just refer to the 'updated mission statement and reinforce that the motto remains unchanged.'" 

The memo does not explicitly connect the mission statement change to any DEI initiatives. 

However, Judicial Watch argues that the talking points document it obtained implies DEI was a factor in the mission statement change because the document also contains an FAQ section that appears to downplay the role of DEI, claiming only five to eight students each year complete West Point's Diversity and Inclusion Studies minor. 

"These records detail how the DEI agenda helped change the mission statement of West Point - and how leadership under the Biden administration tried to cover it up," Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a Thursday statement to Fox News Digital. 

But in the memo outlining mission statement talking points, Gilland urged speakers to push back against the narrative that the mission statement change was done for political purposes. 

"EMPHASIZE the actual seven values as some in the audience don't realize Army Values is a defined term and to counter the social media narrative that the Army Values change for political reasons. AVOID comparing DHC to AV-it's not either/or," the mission statement talking points document said. 

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"AVOID the perception that the External Review Team was political or made the decision. The Academy selected them. They advised. Academy leadership made Decisions," the document said. 

The term "Army Values" keeps "duty" and "honor" within its core set of values, but also includes the following: loyalty, respect, selfless service, integrity and personal courage. 

Gilland said in a statement announcing the change that "country" is reflected in the term "loyalty." 

"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," Gilland said in an announcement about the mission statement change. 

Gilland also said that "duty, honor, country" is "foundational to the United States Military Academy's culture and will always remain our motto." 

An Army spokesperson directed Fox News Digital to Gilland's original announcement where he wrote: "Our absolute focus on developing leaders of character ready to lead our Army's Soldiers on increasingly lethal battlefields remains unchanged."

West Point is one of several U.S. military academies that trains students to become military officers. 

Meanwhile, West Point's mission statement has been changed nine times in the past century, and the words "duty, honor, country" didn't make it into West Point's mission statement until 1998. 

As of March 2024, West Point's mission statement is: "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."

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West Point's previous mission statement, first adopted in 2005, remained: "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."

West Point's superintendent at the time, Lt. Gen. William Lennox, requested the change in 2005 and then-Army Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Schoomaker approved the change. 

Meanwhile, Republicans have pushed to incorporate "duty, honor, country" back into the mission statement. For example, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, spearheaded legislation in January to add the words back to the military academy's mission statement. 

"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.' West Point's removal of these core values from its mission statement risks eroding the foundation of American military leadership," Cruz said in a statement in January.