5.4 The Army Values, The Soldier's Creed, and The NCO Creed

5.4 The Army Values, The Soldier's Creed, and The NCO Creed

Core Doctrine: Under ADP 6-22 (Army Leadership and the Profession), military leadership begins with moral character. The Army Values, the Soldier's Creed, and the Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer are not mere slogans for classroom walls; they represent the solemn oaths and professional covenants that govern Soldier conduct in garrison and under combat fire. In the promotion boardroom, board members evaluate not only a candidate's verbatim recitation of these creeds, but their ability to apply them in solving real-world ethical dilemmas and leading squads.

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1. The Seven Army Values (LDRSHIP)

The Seven Army Values define what it means to be an American Soldier. They form the foundational acronym LDRSHIP:

1. Loyalty (L)

"Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit, and other Soldiers."

• Doctrinal Meaning: Loyalty is a reciprocal two-way street. It requires bearing true allegiance to the Constitution, which establishes the rule of law above personal allegiance to any individual leader. A loyal NCO supports the chain of command, carries out lawful orders faithfully, and stands up for their Soldiers when they are absent.

2. Duty (D)

"Fulfill your obligations."

• Doctrinal Meaning: Duty means doing what needs to be done without being told. It encompasses fulfilling all assigned contractual, legal, and operational tasks to the best of one's ability. It requires taking the initiative to anticipate unit requirements, enforcing safety standards, and holding subordinates accountable.

3. Respect (R)

"Treat people as they should be treated."

• Doctrinal Meaning: Respect represents the military application of the Golden Rule. It establishes that all Soldiers, regardless of rank, race, gender, or background, possess inherent human dignity. Respect creates cohesive teams free from hazing, harassment, and discrimination, ensuring a culture where constructive feedback can thrive.

4. Selfless Service (S)

"Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own."

• Doctrinal Meaning: Selfless service is the hallmark of servant leadership. An NCO ensures that Soldiers eat first, sleep first, and receive medical care before attending to their own personal comfort. It means committing personal time and energy to achieve the mission without seeking personal glory or accolades.

5. Honor (H)

"Live up to Army values in all actions."

• Doctrinal Meaning: Honor serves as the moral compass that unifies all other values. Living honorably means making Army Values an active lifestyle rather than a workplace mask. It requires maintaining moral character both on and off duty, upholding the proud heritage of the military profession.

6. Integrity (I)

"Do what is right, legally and morally."

• Doctrinal Meaning: Integrity is uncompromising moral honesty. It means doing the right thing when no one is watching. In practical terms, an NCO with integrity never falsifies training records, maintenance logs, or weapon qualification scores, and has the moral fortitude to report truth to superiors regardless of consequences.

7. Personal Courage (P)

"Face fear, danger, or adversity (physical and moral)."

• Doctrinal Meaning: Personal courage encompasses two essential dimensions:
  • Physical Courage: The ability to conquer bodily fear of injury or death to execute tactical combat missions.
  • Moral Courage: The willingness to stand up for what is right in the face of peer pressure, career risk, or public criticism. It is the courage to intervene when standards are violated and speak truth to commanders.

Army Values and Observable Leadership Behaviors

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2. The Soldier's Creed and the Warrior Ethos

In 2003, Army Chief of Staff General Peter J. Schoomaker and Sergeant Major of the Army Jack L. Tilley spearheaded the creation of the modern Soldier's Creed. The initiative was designed to inculcate a shared warrior ethos across all Soldiers—regardless of military occupational specialty (MOS), gender, or rank—reminding every service member that they are first and foremost warriors trained to engage and destroy the enemies of the United States.

Complete Text of the Soldier's Creed

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.

The Four Tenets of the Warrior Ethos

Embedded squarely at the heart of the Soldier's Creed are the four unbreakable tenets of the Warrior Ethos:

1. I will always place the mission first. (Operational dedication to duty and tactical objective).
2. I will never accept defeat. (Unshakeable resilience and tenacity in the face of tactical setbacks).
3. I will never quit. (Physical stamina, mental endurance, and unyielding perseverance).
4. I will never leave a fallen comrade. (Sacred covenant to recover, protect, and honor wounded, captured, or fallen brothers and sisters in arms).

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3. The Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer (The NCO Creed)

Historical Origins

The Creed of the Noncommissioned Officer was born during the turbulent post-Vietnam transition to the All-Volunteer Force. In 1973, at the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), Georgia, a dedicated working group of senior NCOs led by Sergeant Major Earle Brigham recognized that the emerging modern Army lacked a singular, unifying ethical code to guide noncommissioned officers. They sought to craft a document that would inspire pride, define the boundary of NCO responsibilities, and articulate the sacred bond between NCOs, their Soldiers, and commissioned officers.

The Acrostic Structure: N - C - O

The NCO Creed is composed of three distinct paragraphs. The first word of each paragraph begins with the respective letters N, C, and O:

   [ N ] -> "No one is more professional than I..."
            (Establishes professional identity, pride, and the leader-Soldier covenant)

   [ C ] -> "Competence is my watchword..."
            (Codifies the two basic responsibilities: mission accomplishment & Soldier welfare)

   [ O ] -> "Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties..."
            (Defines the Officer-NCO relationship, loyalty, and standards enforcement)

Complete Text of the NCO Creed

Paragraph 1 (N):

"No one is more professional than I. I am a noncommissioned officer, a leader of Soldiers. As a noncommissioned officer, I realize that I am a member of a time-honored corps, which is known as "The Backbone of the Army". I am proud of the Corps of Noncommissioned Officers and will at all times conduct myself so as to bring credit upon the Corps, the military service and my country regardless of the situation in which I find myself. I will not use my grade or position to attain pleasure, profit, or personal safety."

Paragraph 2 (C):

"Competence is my watchword. My two basic responsibilities will always be uppermost in my mind—accomplishment of my mission and the welfare of my Soldiers. I will strive to remain technically and tactically proficient. I am aware of my role as a noncommissioned officer. I will fulfill my responsibilities inherent in that role. All Soldiers are entitled to outstanding leadership; I will provide that leadership. I know my Soldiers and I will always place their needs above my own. I will communicate consistently with my Soldiers and never leave them uninformed. I will be fair and impartial when recommending both rewards and punishment."

Paragraph 3 (O):

"Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties; they will not have to accomplish mine. I will earn their respect and esteem as well as that of my Soldiers. I will be loyal to those with whom I serve; seniors, peers, and subordinates alike. I will exercise initiative by taking appropriate action in the absence of orders. I will not compromise my integrity, nor my moral courage. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget, that we are professionals, noncommissioned officers, leaders!"

The Two Basic Responsibilities of the NCO

Every board candidate must know instantly that the NCO's two primary responsibilities are:

1. Accomplishment of the mission.
2. The welfare of Soldiers. These responsibilities are mutually reinforcing: a leader cannot accomplish tough combat missions with neglected Soldiers, nor can a leader protect Soldier welfare by failing the mission.

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4. Boardroom Recitation and Performance Standards

Reciting the Soldier's Creed or NCO Creed before a promotion board is often the first evaluated event after reporting to the Board President. It sets the tone for the entire appearance.

Physical Bearing and Delivery Technique

• Position of Attention: Stand at absolute attention—heels together at a 45-degree angle, legs straight without locking knees, thumbs along trouser seams, chest out, shoulders back, chin level, eyes caged directly forward on the Board President or the member requesting recitation.
• Diaphragmatic Projection: Project voice from the diaphragm with command presence. Do not yell hysterically, but deliver an authoritative, confident volume that fills the room.
• Cadence and Pacing: Avoid the fatal error of rushing through the creed like a runaway train. Deliver each sentence with deliberate, rhythmic inflection, pausing slightly at periods and commas to demonstrate that you understand and feel the weight of each word.
• Eliminating Mannerisms: Zero fidgeting, zero swaying, zero blinking sprees, and absolute elimination of verbal filler words ("um," "uh"). If a mental stumble occurs, pause cleanly, maintain military bearing, recover composure, and continue without apologizing or breaking eye contact.