This We’ll Defend. It is timeless. It is unconditional. It is as true today as it was in 1778.
We adopted the Army’s motto nearly a decade before our Constitution was signed and, to this day, it means we will tirelessly defend this Nation, our loved ones, our comrades, and our values. Our motto is a promise to overcome any challenge, no matter how difficult, because failing our Nation is unthinkable. That is why today’s inflection point in warfare requires our Army’s entire focus. This is a challenge unlike anything we have faced in over 40 years.
Technology is converging, diffusing, and democratizing at an unprecedented speed. Artificial intelligence, data centers, and quantum and ubiquitous computing; robotics, advanced materials, batteries and propulsion systems, sensor fusion—the list is endless. Individually, they are significant—but they converge, compound, and are cheaper every day. Whoever claims the high ground in this new era of warfare will dominate, and our adversaries are ruthlessly advancing.
As we climb, we are slowed by resistance and challenges. Bureaucracy is antithetical to speed, adaptability, and innovation. Special interests, outdated legislation, and inflexible budgets seek to maintain the status quo despite new realities of warfare. And, all the while, our Soldiers are deployed, engaging our adversaries, and sacrificing to safeguard our Nation. Our transformation faces strong headwinds, but those headwinds can never drown out our centuries-old call: This We’ll Defend.
Over the past year, I deliberately spent over 130 days traveling to meet you and hear your stories directly. I will testify before Congress tomorrow and deliver your message: we are ready to dominate but bureaucracy and regulations hold us back. I will candidly explain how we are doing our part to transform but need a truly Soldier-centric budget and less legislative red tape. But, right now, I need every Soldier and civilian—from our most senior generals to our newest trainees—to focus on what we can control: our singular focus on lethality and readiness for future combat.
We are amidst a transformation that transcends all others. It will be measured in months, not years or decades. It will be disruptive, chaotic, and uncomfortable. But every moment we lose mission-focus, we cede ground to our adversaries. Every advance they make increases risk to everything we hold dear.
My charge to the United States Army is this: stay laser-focused on innovating, training, and preparing. Break down barriers, innovate faster and build our readiness, and tell our transformation story so that resistance turns into responsiveness.
This We’ll Defend.
Dan Driscoll
Secretary of the Army
Download: Mission-Focus (PDF)
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