The Soldier's Creed
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.
What it actually means
The identity statement every Soldier learns in Basic. The four lines in the middle — "place the mission first / never accept defeat / never quit / never leave a fallen comrade" — are the Warrior Ethos, embedded inside the creed. Everything else frames it: you are on a team, you serve the public, you stay proficient, and you are ready to close with an enemy. It is deliberately blunt about the last part; the Army does not soften what the job ultimately is.
Where it came from
The current version was directed by Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric Shinseki and approved by his successor Gen. Peter Schoomaker on 13 November 2003, as part of the post-9/11 "Warrior Ethos" campaign. It replaced an earlier, softer version that emphasized being a "protector."
U.S. Army (authorized 2003) — reference