Urban said in a statement (reported by The Boot) that he and Monty Powell were inspired to write the song after seeing Act of Valor, and that he "wanted to capture the essence of not only what these men and women do so extraordinarily, but how that relates to all of us.

In his review of the album, Billy Dukes of Taste of Country wrote that the song "sets the tone and is especially powerful.

"[3] Kevin John Coyne of Country Universe gave the song a B−, saying that Urban's voice was "typically sincere", although he called the production "overblown" and criticized the lyrics by saying "the opening reference to his wife and unborn child feel tacked on.

[5][6] The video features Urban singing the song in a desert with a full band, and some shots of just him and a guitar playing.

Scott Waugh, who co-directed "Act of Valor" directed the video, which also shows scenes from the movie and real bombs and explosives going off at the beginning of each chorus.