Commander’s Winter 2025 Update: Always lead with honor and courage

As your commander, I want to emphasize the important values that make us strong as individuals and a team: training hard, adhering to high standards and always displaying honor and courage. These principles are not just words, they are the foundation that won our nation’s battles and are true in life. I expect each one of you to embody these principles every day.

Training Hard: Training is the bedrock of our readiness. Whether in the field, in the classroom or during individual preparation, your commitment to hard training today ensures our success in the future. It’s easy to become complacent and think that you are ready, but true readiness comes from pushing yourself beyond what you thought possible. Training hard builds not only physical strength but mental toughness, discipline and resilience. It creates a mindset of excellence and prepares you to face the challenges of combat with confidence.

Remember, every drill, every exercise and every lesson is an opportunity to improve. We cannot afford to skip the basics or take shortcuts. Excellence in our actions ensures we are prepared to execute flawlessly when it matters most. Take pride in your training, and always give your best.

Adhering to High Standards: Our military is built upon a set of high standards that govern everything we do. Standards are not arbitrary; they are the framework that ensures we can trust each other, operate as a team, and perform at our peak when called upon. When you adhere to the standards, whether in physical fitness, uniform appearance or tactical execution, you uphold the integrity of our unit and the mission.

Excellence is a habit, and the pursuit of high standards should be unwavering. Whether you’re performing a routine task or in the midst of a critical mission, you must hold yourself to the highest standard. Your actions reflect not only on you but also on your comrades, your unit and the VDF as a whole. By consistently striving for excellence, you ensure that we maintain the trust and confidence of those we serve alongside.

Displaying Honor and Courage: Honor and courage are the cornerstones of character. Honor means always doing what is right, even when no one is watching. It is upholding the values and principles that define us in the VDF and as leaders in our community. Honor means being honest, ethical and accountable for your actions. It means respecting your fellow man and treating them with dignity and respect.

Courage, on the other hand, is more than just the willingness to face danger. It is the courage to do what is right, even when it is difficult. It is standing up for your comrades, standing firm in the face of adversity and making the hard decisions when they are necessary. Courage means not only physical bravery but moral bravery, the strength to uphold your convictions in the face of challenge.

In every action, in every interaction, and in every moment of challenge, you must embody honor and courage. These values are the true measure of the worth of uniformed personnel. They distinguish us from others and are what make us effective in our duties, both as warriors and as leaders.

Conclusion: As we continue our mission, as we prepare for our MUTA in March, always keep in mind the importance of training hard, adhering to the highest standards and living with honor and courage. These are not just ideals: they are a way of life. The success of our mission depends on each of us embodying these principles every day, not just when it’s easy, but especially when it’s hard.

I expect you to be the best versions of yourselves, to uphold these values with pride and to hold each other accountable. Together, we will continue to rise to every challenge, and together, we will achieve greatness.

Stay sharp, stay committed, and always lead with honor and courage. I remain Semper Fidelis!

Brig. Gen. (Va) Rich Diddams
Commander, Virginia Defense Force