The Soldier's Creed, in full
Army · word for word from the source below
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.
The four marked lines are the Warrior Ethos.
Source: U.S. Army, Soldier's Creed and Warrior Ethos (Army Values), read November 10, 2026.
At a glance
- Lines
- 13
- First and last line
- "I am an American Soldier."
- Warrior Ethos
- Lines 4 to 7
About the Soldier's Creed
The creed is 13 lines and begins and ends with the same sentence: "I am an American Soldier."
Lines four through seven are the Warrior Ethos. The Army publishes those four sentences on their own page under that name: "I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade."
The third line points to the seven Army Values, which have their own page here.
Read the seven Army Values and the NCO Creed.