NSA Mission Statement: Agency Removes 'Honesty,' 'Honor' From Core Values
The United States National Security Agency has updated the mission statement that appears on its website to remove the term “honesty” which once appeared as part of the agency’s “Mission and Values.”
The change, first spotted by the Intercept, appeared to take place on January 12. It marks the first time since at least May 2016 that “honesty” has not appeared as part of the government agency’s mission statement.
In addition to removing the words “honesty” the NSA also removed mentions of “trust,” “honor” and “openness” from its website. Other values—including “integrity,” “transparency” and “respect for the law”—remain.
In place of the now-removed term, the agency added two values: “commitment to service” and “respect for people.” The agency defined those values as seen below:
Commitment to Service – Knowing that the country, our friends and allies are relying on us, we are dedicated to fulfilling our commitment to serve and to excellence in the pursuit of our critical mission.
Respect for People – We are committed to ensuring that all NSA personnel are respected, included and valued for their diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills and contributions to our mission and culture.
The “core value” of honesty that no longer appears included a description that stated, “We recognize that national leaders and the American people at large have placed great trust in us, and we strive at all times to be deserving of that trust. We will be truthful with each other, and honor the public's need for openness, balanced against national security interests.”
Under the change, the agency’s top value now appears to be “commitment to service,” which the NSA defined by stating, “Knowing that the country, our friends and allies are relying on us, we are dedicated to fulfilling our commitment to serve and to excellence in the pursuit of our critical mission.”
While “integrity” remains a value in both the old and new version of the NSA’s website, its definition has been modified. The agency once stated that integrity meant it would “behave honorably and apply good judgment.” In the updated version, the phrase “behave honorably” has been removed and replaced with a promise of “communicating honestly and directly, acting ethically and fairly and carrying out our mission efficiently and effectively.”
The lone value to go entirely unchanged in the updated mission statement is respect for the law.” The NSA’s definition of the value has remained consistent and states all missions undertaken by the agency are “grounded in our adherence to the U.S. Constitution and compliance with the U.S. laws, regulations and policies that govern our activities.”
The NSA did not announce the change before it occurred or make mention of the update publicly at any point. A spokesperson for the agency told the Intercept, “It’s nothing more than a website update, that’s all it is.”
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