Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said his reverence for the majestic language of Abraham Lincoln will not permit a change to the department's iconic motto to make it more gender neutral. The motto should never be interpreted to mean the department is not committed to equality of service, Wilkie said at a hearing on Capitol Hill. Advocacy groups have recommended another version: "To care for those who shall have borne the battle and their families and survivors." Read more about Wilkie's statements on Military.com.
VA Secretary Rejects Push for Gender-Neutral Motto
![A cameraman films U.S. Navy SEALs during an episode of the Fox network television series "24" at Camarillo Airport in 2008.](http://images04.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_large/public/2024-04/mil-filming-seals-in-series-24-1800.jpg?itok=WZFSEAJB "A cameraman films U.S. Navy SEALs during an episode of the Fox network television series "24" at Camarillo Airport in 2008. (U.S. Navy)")
