American Mothers, Inc.

INTEGRITY 

This week I spoke at an event where "Blue Star Mothers" were the featured guests. These mothers had a child or children currently serving in the military in Iraq or Afghanistian. It is hard for me to fathom the supreme sacrifice that they are making over and over again by sending their loved ones off to the battlefield to preserve our freedoms. As a mother, my heart was deeply moved with the pride these mothers shared of their young sons and daughters, many of whom have re-enlisted and have been deployed two or more times. The Army has 7 Core Army Values - Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Sacrifice, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. The Core Value definition of "Integrity" is: "Do what’s right, legally and morally. Integrity is a quality you develop by adhering to moral principles. It requires that you do and say nothing that deceives others. As your integrity grows, so does the trust others place in you. The more choices you make based on integrity, the more this highly prized value will affect your relationships with family and friends, and, finally, the fundamental acceptance of yourself."

Along with each of these mothers, we can proudly say "Our soldiers truly exhibit the quality of "integrity". The next time you see a soldier in uniform, please go up to him, shake their hand and thank them for their service and for living a "life of integrity".  They know what integrity means. They live it everyday!

The "Warriors Ethos": I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. That is "integrity"!