Soldier's Creed

The U.S. Soldier's Creed is a dogma that all United States Army personnel are encouraged to adhere to. All U.S. Army enlisted personnel are taught the Soldier's Creed during basic training, and it is required knowledge at most enlisted promotion boards to compete for the rank of Sergeant and above, as well as 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. It was first presented to senior Army leaders on June 7, 2003.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 Soldier's Creed kicked off a campaign known as Task Force Soldier. This is a leadership commitment to soldiers ensuring that they are prepared for combat and embody the Warrior Ethos that is contained in the Soldier's Creed. 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. 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 has been incorporated into the Soldier's Creed and is italicized in the text above.

Original Version

I am an American soldier. I am a man 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 of 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 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 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 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.

SOURCE: United States. Headquarters Dept. of the Army. IET Soldier’s Handbook. TRADOC Pamphlet 600-4 Washington: GPO, January 1, 1993.

Other notes: By order of the Secretary of the Army: John P. Herring, Major General, GS. Chief of Staff. "The proponent of this publication is HQ TRADOC. Users are invited to send comments and suggested improvements on DA Form 2028 (Recommended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) to Commandant, USAIS, ATTN: ATSH-OTC-C, Fort Benning, GA 31905".

Distribution Restriction: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

External links

• New values cards, Warrior Ethos ‘dogtags’ available to Army units
• Army slide show on the Soldiers Creed