As an officer in the Armed Forces of the United States Army you are a citizen-soldier, a warrior in the profession of arms, a member of a skilled profession, an unwavering defender of the Constitution and a servant of the nation.

A leader of character, you accept unmitigated personal responsibility and accountability to duty, for your actions and those of your subordinates. You lead your service and defend the nation in seamless union with officers of all services. In so doing, you willingly take your place in an ancient and honorable calling. Obligated equally to those who have gone before you, those you walk among, and those who will follow.

“There is no greater demonstration of the trust of the Republic than in its expression and bestowal of an officer’s commission.” This trust involves the majesty of the nation’s authority in matters involving the lives and deaths of its citizens. That this particular trust most often is first directed on men and women of no particular experience in life, leadership, or war, elevates the act to a supreme occasion of faith as well.

Accepting an officer’s commission in the armed forces is a weighty matter, carrying a corresponding burden of practical and moral responsibility. The officer must live up to this responsibility each day he or she serves.