"For many, stand the few."

Five simple words, but for the U.S. Military Academy Class of 2022, it is the motto that will define their time at West Point and their careers in the U.S. Army.

The motto was revealed to the nearly 1,200 new cadets in the Class of 2022 Sunday evening as they finished Cadet Basic Training and prepared for the 12-mile March Back to the Academy, and Monday, they completed the March Back behind a banner announcing it.

"I actually got goosebumps when they announced the motto because we truly are the few who get accepted here and I am very proud to be here," said New Cadet Tyler Cooper, from Paducah, Kentucky. Cooper previously served four years in the Army, including one at the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School, before being accepted into West Point.

The motto was voted upon by the Class of 2022 new cadets during Cadet Basic Training, and although there were other options, Jerzi Holly, a new cadet from Washington, said she was in favor of "For many, stand the few," because of everything it represents.

"I was really looking forward to it from the get go and hoping that would be our class motto. When they finally announced it, I was really happy about it," Holly said. "I am proud to say that is our class motto. I think the Army's whole reason of existing is to stand for those who can't and the nation."

New Cadet Harrison Harper, from Mayfield, New York, said as they begin their journeys at USMA the motto will serve as a rallying cry for him and his classmates when times get hard and they need extra motivation to continue to fight.

"Beast was a challenge, but later on in our cadet careers, there are going to be many more challenges," Harper said. "In the end, 'For many, stand the few' carries onto graduation and past that. We got to choose between several mottos and I voted for that one because I thought that was the most inspiring quote and it really lived up to what we all were working for and how we got here."

Saturday, the new cadets in the Class of 2022 will officially join the Corps of Cadets during Acceptance Day. They will then begin a lifelong journey of living up to the motto they have chosen for themselves.

"The few need to stand up for the many in order for the many to survive," New Cadet Oreofeoluwa Omolade, of New York City, said. "I am going to have to work to better myself so I can benefit others. It is not just me I am working for. I am working for my family, those around me, my company, the rest of the Corps and the rest of the Unites States."

Prior to their final year at USMA, the Class of 2022 will be given a ring engraved with their motto and crest as a constant reminder of their commitment to USMA, the Army and beyond.

"We have a class size of 1,200 right now, which will eventually taper down a little bit so we definitely are the few," New Cadet John Caleb Gordon, from Augusta, Georgia, said. "We are the few. When the going gets tough, boots hit the ground, when there is brass flying overhead, it is the few that stands for the many. I need to make sure that myself and my fellow cadets, we the few, are the best representation of America we can be."