Posted on Jan 28, 2019
Veterans' Creed - Why We Created It and Why It’s Important.
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*This is an image of Veterans reciting the Veterans' Creed at a Bristol Blues baseball game.
History:
Last June, eleven VSO’s came together and developed a Veteran’s Creed, each of whose elements reflects the foundations of Veterans’ culture, military creeds and related VSO missions.
(AMVETS, DAV (Disabled American Veterans), HillVets, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Reserve Officers Association, Student Veterans of America, Team Rubicon Global, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Wounded Warrior Project)
Today with the addition of the American Legion, the Veteran’s Creed is endorsed by 12 of the largest VSO’s in our country.
Mission:
We believe that a creed developed by, and specifically for, Veterans is a powerful tool to both codify the principles by which Veterans live and to enhance their sense of mission in society. It can also enhance the public’s understanding of Veterans and highlight the positive capabilities that Veterans bring home from military service.
Veteran’s Creed:
1. I am an American Veteran
2. I proudly served my country
3. I live the values I learned in the military
4. I continue to serve my community, my country and my fellow veterans
5. I maintain my physical and mental discipline
6. I continue to lead and improve
7. I make a difference
8. I honor and remember my fallen comrades
Why a Veterans’ Creed?
REMIND Veterans: Of the significance and value of their military service
INSPIRE Veterans: To continue to serve and excel
UNITE Veterans: To make a difference for our country
There are more than 20 million veterans in our country today, and more than 200,000 men and women leave the military every year, creating a steady and significant flow of Veterans back into civilian life.
Veterans learned a lot during their military experience—values, teamwork, leadership, selfless service. These positive traits were instilled in them throughout their service, and these traits remain part of who they are. Veterans have a lot to offer this country.
We believe there is something missing that keeps millions of Veterans from realizing their full potential and having a more positive impact on our society.
What’s missing is a vehicle that causes Veterans to recall the value of their service and the reasons that they served, and to remind them that many opportunities remain to make a difference in our world. What’s missing is a vehicle that gives Veterans a continuing sense of purpose and that inspires them to lead and to excel. What’s missing is a vehicle that recreates the sense of community that Veterans so sorely miss.
We believe that The Veteran’s Creed can serve as that unifying construct to remind Veterans of the significance and value of their military service, to inspire Veterans to continue to serve and lead at the local, state and national levels and to excel at whatever they undertake. I can also unite Veterans in a community to make a difference for our country.
About GEN Casey:
General Casey retired as the 36th Chief of Staff of the US Army. He is the Chairman of the Board of the USO, on the board of advisors at RallyPoint, a board member of Student Veterans of America and several other organizations that support veterans and their families. He remains committed to seeing that the men and women who have served this country so well continue to have the opportunities to contribute to the society that they served.
History:
Last June, eleven VSO’s came together and developed a Veteran’s Creed, each of whose elements reflects the foundations of Veterans’ culture, military creeds and related VSO missions.
(AMVETS, DAV (Disabled American Veterans), HillVets, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Reserve Officers Association, Student Veterans of America, Team Rubicon Global, Veterans of Foreign Wars and Wounded Warrior Project)
Today with the addition of the American Legion, the Veteran’s Creed is endorsed by 12 of the largest VSO’s in our country.
Mission:
We believe that a creed developed by, and specifically for, Veterans is a powerful tool to both codify the principles by which Veterans live and to enhance their sense of mission in society. It can also enhance the public’s understanding of Veterans and highlight the positive capabilities that Veterans bring home from military service.
Veteran’s Creed:
1. I am an American Veteran
2. I proudly served my country
3. I live the values I learned in the military
4. I continue to serve my community, my country and my fellow veterans
5. I maintain my physical and mental discipline
6. I continue to lead and improve
7. I make a difference
8. I honor and remember my fallen comrades
Why a Veterans’ Creed?
REMIND Veterans: Of the significance and value of their military service
INSPIRE Veterans: To continue to serve and excel
UNITE Veterans: To make a difference for our country
There are more than 20 million veterans in our country today, and more than 200,000 men and women leave the military every year, creating a steady and significant flow of Veterans back into civilian life.
Veterans learned a lot during their military experience—values, teamwork, leadership, selfless service. These positive traits were instilled in them throughout their service, and these traits remain part of who they are. Veterans have a lot to offer this country.
We believe there is something missing that keeps millions of Veterans from realizing their full potential and having a more positive impact on our society.
What’s missing is a vehicle that causes Veterans to recall the value of their service and the reasons that they served, and to remind them that many opportunities remain to make a difference in our world. What’s missing is a vehicle that gives Veterans a continuing sense of purpose and that inspires them to lead and to excel. What’s missing is a vehicle that recreates the sense of community that Veterans so sorely miss.
We believe that The Veteran’s Creed can serve as that unifying construct to remind Veterans of the significance and value of their military service, to inspire Veterans to continue to serve and lead at the local, state and national levels and to excel at whatever they undertake. I can also unite Veterans in a community to make a difference for our country.
About GEN Casey:
General Casey retired as the 36th Chief of Staff of the US Army. He is the Chairman of the Board of the USO, on the board of advisors at RallyPoint, a board member of Student Veterans of America and several other organizations that support veterans and their families. He remains committed to seeing that the men and women who have served this country so well continue to have the opportunities to contribute to the society that they served.
RallyPoint
Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF)
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) - Afghanistan
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
USO
Edited 6 y ago
Posted 6 y ago
Responses: 80
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I agree with SPC Steven Wolfe. "That I will continue to uphold the Oath I took to Support and Defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic and that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same." Would make a great addition to the creed.
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A 'Veterans Creed' is nice but unnecessary in my opinion. My oath at enlistment, and subsequent times in reenlisting have not ended just because I no longer wear the uniform. The oath doesn't have a shelf life but is endearing, enduring and unending. My humble opinion.
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How come the VA does not do more to assist veterans to compete for federal contracting via disabled veteran set asides under executive order 13320?
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I wasn't aware that the oath I took when I enlisted had an expiration date? Maybe we need less creeds brought forward for veterans and more promises kept by those in Washington.
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The only way you can enforce this is come to my house and see if I'll open the door to recite it for you. I don't recommend that...
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Creeds are useful only if recognized and observed. Our government has a sordid record of fraud and corruption as well as unfortunate choices with respect to operating in other countries going back to, say, Vietnam. When our government operates in this manner, and government employees are not held accountable, nor our elected officials, then yet another creed is form over substance. Nice thought, looks good, it's a nice press release for the VSO's, but at the end of the day without meaning. I believe in the values and lead my life accordingly - but that's me. Civilians have created enormous roadblocks, and when the judiciary system gets involved - the dysfunction takes on another layer of system failure. I relate this through bitter experience.
A corollary to this is the corruption inside the VA, where executives too often use their position as a launching pad for the next step in their career, and often taking contracts with them. Sometimes illegally. The VBA roots its decisions in the massive frauds committed by one of the first directors of the newly minted Veterans Bureau in 1921. Col Forbes managed to embezzle $200 million between 1921 and 1924 when he was bounced by the Senate. During this same time he denied 85% of WW1 veteran claims for disability. Fruit of the vine - if the vine is rotten, so is the fruit. A well established legal tenet that has been consistently ignored since 1924.
One group of people observing values stands no chance when working with a disreputable group. Unless and until both sides work honorably with each other, the creed will cause more harm than good to the group observing it with respect to traction with the other group. The VHA, by and large with unfortunate exceptions, is light years away from what it was in the 70's when I got out with drunken Operation Paperclip doctors. They have done as good a job for me or better than civilian institutions. The VBA still hides in the shadows of their enormous initial fraud. I met with a senior OMB executive who agreed that VBA denials cost taxpayers far more than the VA saves when productivity hits, administrative and program expenses from other Agencies, broken families and other drags on the GNP are totaled. We both came to this conclusion with our independent projections. Incredibly, when he asked for detailed information from the Agencies to prepare an accurate assessment, he got the same answer I did when I asked - look in the budget. That information on the table caused us to have a quiet rest of the lunch contemplating the enormous stupidity plaguing those trying to make good policy assessments. You would think it would be simple to get information for the President from his own Agencies, but, as he stated, you would be wrong.
What chance do we have?
A corollary to this is the corruption inside the VA, where executives too often use their position as a launching pad for the next step in their career, and often taking contracts with them. Sometimes illegally. The VBA roots its decisions in the massive frauds committed by one of the first directors of the newly minted Veterans Bureau in 1921. Col Forbes managed to embezzle $200 million between 1921 and 1924 when he was bounced by the Senate. During this same time he denied 85% of WW1 veteran claims for disability. Fruit of the vine - if the vine is rotten, so is the fruit. A well established legal tenet that has been consistently ignored since 1924.
One group of people observing values stands no chance when working with a disreputable group. Unless and until both sides work honorably with each other, the creed will cause more harm than good to the group observing it with respect to traction with the other group. The VHA, by and large with unfortunate exceptions, is light years away from what it was in the 70's when I got out with drunken Operation Paperclip doctors. They have done as good a job for me or better than civilian institutions. The VBA still hides in the shadows of their enormous initial fraud. I met with a senior OMB executive who agreed that VBA denials cost taxpayers far more than the VA saves when productivity hits, administrative and program expenses from other Agencies, broken families and other drags on the GNP are totaled. We both came to this conclusion with our independent projections. Incredibly, when he asked for detailed information from the Agencies to prepare an accurate assessment, he got the same answer I did when I asked - look in the budget. That information on the table caused us to have a quiet rest of the lunch contemplating the enormous stupidity plaguing those trying to make good policy assessments. You would think it would be simple to get information for the President from his own Agencies, but, as he stated, you would be wrong.
What chance do we have?
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I think this is a good idea, just wish more people too their creeds and oaths to heart.
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Good intentions gone wrong? As I read through a lot of the complaints, I understand them and can empathize...
It seems as if the Veterans groups have organized a mission statement of how to be a Veteran for those curiously questioning how to do so - although many find it quite easy to relate to their military service teachings and continue to live by what they learned.
Furthermore, I find it a bit odd that the military has been around for almost 250 years and we now feel the need to tell Veterans how to act upon departure!
I feel as if it is almost a slap in the face to many, because didn’t the services already train these fine folks once - did they become dumb upon issuance of a DD214? Do we all of the sudden have issues with Veterans acting unacceptable? Are there new statistics to show the rise of failures of Veterans actions? Would have much rather have seen these funds go towards getting homeless Veterans off the streets during the latest Arctic blast!
Thank you for sharing GEN Casey.
It seems as if the Veterans groups have organized a mission statement of how to be a Veteran for those curiously questioning how to do so - although many find it quite easy to relate to their military service teachings and continue to live by what they learned.
Furthermore, I find it a bit odd that the military has been around for almost 250 years and we now feel the need to tell Veterans how to act upon departure!
I feel as if it is almost a slap in the face to many, because didn’t the services already train these fine folks once - did they become dumb upon issuance of a DD214? Do we all of the sudden have issues with Veterans acting unacceptable? Are there new statistics to show the rise of failures of Veterans actions? Would have much rather have seen these funds go towards getting homeless Veterans off the streets during the latest Arctic blast!
Thank you for sharing GEN Casey.
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