Among the seemingly never-ending list of tasks new Army recruits must accomplish, memorizing the Army Soldier Creed is one of them. It may not sound like an incredibly important task, but as something that represents the Army ethos, which you’re expected to embody day in and day out, having this memorized is pretty vital to your success as an Army recruit.

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What Is the Army Soldier Creed?

Here’s the Army Soldier Creed line by line: 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.

Is the Soldier’s Creed Army Statement Important?

What’s so important about the Soldier’s Creed? Army officials expect all Soldiers to take each statement in the creed seriously. Memorizing it shows your dedication to each statement and, consequently, your dedication to the Army as a whole. You will soon be part of the biggest defense branch in the country and one of the biggest in the world. Assuming you weren’t drafted or forced into the Army in one of those jail-or-military scenarios, you enlisted for a reason. The Army Soldier’s Creed is the written exemplification of that reason. By memorizing it early on in your military career, you’re also instilling in yourself the Soldier’s Creed Army values that are displayed in the words and preparing yourself for anything and everything you may face as a Soldier. Hopefully, the memorization of this simple creed reminds all Soldiers of their duty, their promise, and their passion for the military. The Army Soldier Creed is not to be taken lightly.

The Soldier’s Creed Army Study Guide

Among everything you have to remember at the beginning of your service, a 13-line creed isn’t exactly gonna be the easiest thing on your list to memorize. The Army Soldier Creed, also called the Warrior Ethos or Warrior Creed, may not be complicated, but memorization can still be a bit of a hurdle for some recruits. Here are a few tips if you need a Soldier’s Creed Army study guide:

• Each line starts with “I,” so that’s an easy one to remember.
• Except for one line, the second word of each line is a verb: am, serve, will, stand. “Will” is used in the majority of the lines.
• The line “I am an American Soldier” is repeated twice: once at the beginning and once at the end of the Army Soldier Creed.
• The creed starts out with broader, more general statements that are shorter (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.). So remember: broader statements first!
• The creed moves to slightly more specific and longer statements toward the end (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.). So remember: specific, longer statements last!

Memorizing the U.S. Army Soldier Creed Is an Important Task

Though it may seem silly at first, memorizing this creed is anything but. It is a serious duty that serves to remind you of the realities of being a United States Soldier. The Soldier’s Creed, U.S. Army service, and now you all go hand in hand. Take some time, keep in mind our tips for memorizing the Army Soldier Creed, and make your country proud.

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The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Photo by Tech. Sgt. Daniel Ter Haar 185th Air Refueling Wing, Iowa Air National Guard