 We are an army for the people of the people and for more than two centuries We have been at the forefront of protecting freedom and democracy Making good on our promises to the American people in the beginning We were the pioneers towns people and patriots who found the strength to win our independence Since then we've defended the nation against threats to our democracy and to the American way of life Today the truth remains America's greatest generations are founded on the sacrifices of our strongest citizens the American soldier In order for all Americans to enjoy the freedom to speak freely To let our children grow up to be anything they want and to have our voices heard in an open government We stand guard our remote outposts around the globe Endure months of separation from family and friends and tend to the wounded while honoring the fallen We have always been and will always be the strength of the nation as Soldiers we recognize that our strength comes from the strength of our whole nation It comes from the people we fight beside and the ones we fight for So no matter the challenge and no matter the sacrifice we remain vigilant We are America's sons and daughters Bonded together by trust the bedrock of our profession our world is constantly changing and so are the threats to our way of life as The nation's force of decisive action whether we face traditional attacks cyber warfare or natural disasters Or whether we are called upon to provide humanitarian aid We will always be ready and able to answer the call That means that both in times of war or in times of peace at home or broad We have the depth versatility and agility to protect our freedoms To meet today's challenges and to take on tomorrow's uncertain conflicts We must leverage the right combination of technology and manpower to give our national leadership the flexibility They need to make critical decisions But our responsibility extends further We are the decisive arm of the joint force That means in addition to fighting and winning our nation's wars We ensure that other military branches and government agencies are enabled in their missions Now as we move toward the army of 2020 to meet our nation's defense strategy We are working to prevent conflict and shape the international environment So that our allies are empowered and our enemies contained But when we are called to fight we will be ready to win and win decisively Because as Americans our right to live free is not negotiable and neither is our commitment to defend it As an army for the people of the people we are responsible for meeting the needs of the nation And during this period of constrained resources we must do more than defend this nation and defeat our enemies We must continue to ensure that we are wisely using the resources entrusted to us by the American people This means we're taking the lead in energy security and sustainability Our developments in green technologies, solar power and water conservation are protecting the lives of soldiers And providing them an advantage on the battlefield while reducing our dependency on traditional fuels We continue to push forward on medical innovations providing world-class care to our wounded, ill and injured Additionally we are making smart investments in cutting-edge technologies to provide our soldiers a decisive advantage in any mission And as we reduce the size of the army and shape our force for the future We are applying best business practices to how we run the army so that we are responsible and efficient in all that we do In response to the changing needs of the nation we continue to prepare our soldiers to be the foremost leaders in any arena Whether it's in the office, in the classroom, the operating room or in our communities Our army values, teamwork, leadership skills And commitment to country remain with us when we transition back to our hometowns Where we continue to make impactful and meaningful contributions to our nation Our sense of responsibility does not end with our military service And our commitment to the nation endures