[March 13, 2015] When I first entered the U.S. Army, I did so because I wanted to join and to be part of something that was bigger than me and to gain opportunities that couldn’t be gotten elsewhere. The recruitment motto at the time was “Today’s Army Wants to Join You.” The formal idea behind the Army motto, and mottos in general, is to encapsulate the ideals and beliefs guiding an individual, family, social group, or organization.1
But mottos are much more than that. It is true that they can be bound in old traditions or in major events but more importantly a motto helps fulfill a promise. “Be all you can be” was later adopted by the U.S. Army and has been one of the more popular ones. It told us that by being a part of it you could maximize your potential and Army leaders were vocal about that as a commitment to make us better soldiers.
The Police Department of New York (NYPD) motto is “Fidelis ad Mortem,” meaning faithful unto death. The Chicago Police Department motto is “We Serve and Protect.” Little wonder that those police forces have a deep appreciation to what this means and how they should carry out their duties; often under dangerous circumstances. They recognize they are the thin blue line that protects fellow civilians from criminal elements. The motto further symbolizes the relationship of law enforcement in the community as a positive and necessary force.
Leadership doesn’t mean coming up with a motto or changing a current one but it does mean their position implies a promise to help others. Often overlooked by inferior leaders in any organization, mottos can be given lip service and degraded as outmoded and dated. Those who do this ignore the psychological advantages of mottos; educational, motivational, and gratifying.
I spent 40 years in the U.S. Army and enjoyed its benefits and tolerated its defects. Both in combat and during peace I never forgot what it meant and learned that to do well meant internalizing its motto and enjoying the promise of its leadership to help make me a better person. I believe I am a much better person for it and would not have traded the experience for anything.
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