West Point’s new mission statement omits MacArthur’s ‘duty, honor, country’

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point has updated its new mission statement, which now omits retired Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s famous “duty, honor, country” and caused a stir among people who disagree with the decision.

In a statement released Monday, Lt. Gen. Steve Gilland, West Point’s superintendent, said the phrase is “foundational” to the academy’s culture and despite the change in mission statement, it will “always remain our motto.”

“It defined who we are as an institution and as graduates of West Point,” he wrote. “These three hallowed words are the hallmark of the cadet experience and bind the Long Gray Line together across our great history.”

Gilland said the academy must “assess ourselves regularly,” and has worked with leaders in the academy and external stakeholders over the last year and a half to revise its mission statement.