This We’ll Defend
Our Promise to America
Gen. Randy A. George, Chief of Staff, U.S. Army
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael R. Weimer
This year, our Army celebrates a major milestone. For two and a half centuries, the Army has answered the call to defend this Nation. Our motto, “This We’ll Defend,” is more than just words—it is why we exist and our promise to the American people. For 250 years, as the world changed and the battlefield evolved, our promise has not wavered.
America’s Oldest Institution
The Army’s origins date back to before we were even a country. In the spring of 1775, the shot heard around the world at Lexington and Concord led to fighting between colonial militias and British forces. But to secure our independence, the country needed one collective, professional force.
On 14 June 1775, the Second Continental Congress resolved “that six companies of expert riflemen be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia; … and join the army near Boston, to be there employed as light infantry, under the command of the chief Officer in that army.”1
With this act, the Continental Army was born, transforming disparate colonial militias into a unified force under national authority. Since then, American soldiers have stood ready to defend freedom.
https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/May-June-2025/Defend/
