Character matters.

As graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, we were each educated, trained, and inspired to be leaders of character committed to a lifetime of service to our country and to upholding our motto of “duty, honor, country.”

Our West Point journey led us to a moment when, with right hands raised, we took an oath “to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” This oath has no expiration date. We are, upon commissioning, ‘Soldiers for Life.’ The burden of responsibility and accountability weighs on and inspires us now, just as it did when first taken. Our oath was, and remains, a solemn, public promise with significant meaning and moral gravity.

We represent the country’s diversity of race, gender, ethnicity, identity, political and religious beliefs. Our commitment to character, to integrity, and to duty, honor, country is resolute and unyielding no matter our differences in policy or the God or ‘Higher Power’ to whom we choose to pray or not.

We cannot and will not support any candidate that does not respect our democracy, the Constitution, the rule of law, the military, veterans, our allies, or our citizens. We cannot countenance a candidate who led a violent and deadly insurrection against America and still refuses to accept the results of a free and fair election. Or a candidate who was found liable for sexual abuse, is awaiting sentencing on 34 felony convictions and is awaiting trials on efforts to overturn the last presidential election and stealing classified government documents. We cannot tolerate a candidate who threatens to use the US military — in which we each served — against American citizens that have a different opinion. These are just a few examples of a candidate who lacks the character to lead our country…and character matters.

Because of our oath, our commitment to duty, honor, and country, and because character matters, we the undersigned, endorse Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice-President. This is not a partisan endorsement. It has nothing to do with “Red or Blue”, conservative, progressive, independent, or moderate affinities; it has everything to do with our obligations to a “more perfect union.” Furthermore, as leaders of character, we commit ourselves to bridging and healing the divides in our nation without ever compromising our character — because character matters.

We applaud and support the many military, national security and civilian leaders, and members of Mr. Trump’s former administration who have already publicly supported Vice President Harris and Governor Walz. However, we feel it is important to let our fellow citizens know that many of us who serve in less public, but no less important, positions within our communities are committed to supporting and defending our Constitution and preserving our democracy. We do not agree on all policies, but we do agree on preserving and protecting the Constitution, our democracy, and the freedoms we each, through our sacred oath, dedicated our lives to serving — both in and out of uniform.

Join us in electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz on November 5th. And then join us in coming together to heal a nation damaged by partisan and dangerous rhetoric and behavior. America is at its best when we work together to find compromises that create a stronger nation that supports and defends our allies, protects and respects the rights of all citizens, and uses our wealth and power to protect human rights, our planet, and our democracy. Individually and as a nation, character matters.

The views expressed are those of the authors and signers and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Military Academy, United States Army, Department of Defense, or the US Government.

United Members of the Long Gray Line, a coalition of West Point alumni from six decades of graduating classes who collectively served across ten presidential administrations.

The full list of alumni who have signed this letter can be found here.

Any graduate wishing to sign should reach out to a classmate that has already signed and they will provide you with the instructions to sign and verify your identity as a graduate.