New Employee Fidelity

Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity

Remarks by Robert S. Mueller, III
100th Anniversary Commemoration
July 17, 2008

Today’s FBI continues to reflect and to embody its motto– Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity. This motto is emblazoned on the FBI Seal and it is worth its weight in gold. For more than 100 years, the men and women of the FBI have lived out their commitment to Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity and upheld the reputation we have today.

For most of us, fidelity is faithfulness to an obligation, trust, or duty. FBI employees, however, also apply fidelity to our nation. We embody a fidelity to justice and the law, fidelity to the Constitution, and fidelity to equality and liberty.

Bravery is the quality of being willing to face danger, pain, or trouble; to remain unafraid. Bravery is not merely the act of rushing in where others flee. It is the quiet, diligent dedication to facing down those who would do us harm and bringing them to justice.

Across the FBI, bravery is reflected in more than the physical courage often necessary in the job. It can be seen in the courage of conviction, in the courage to act with wisdom in the face of fear, and in the courage it takes to admit mistakes and move forward.

And, finally, integrity. This is the quality of being of sound moral principle; uprightness, honesty, and sincerity. In the FBI, integrity is reflected in all that we say and do – in honesty, in keeping promises, in fairness, in respect to others, and in compassion. It is, in some ways, the most important part of our motto. Integrity is the fire by which fidelity and bravery are tested.

Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity set the expectations for our behavior and set the standard for our work. More than just a motto, for the men and women of the FBI, Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity is a way of life.