He may not be resigning in protest, as some feared he might, but FBI Director Christopher Wray is absolutely steeling his spine and standing up for the bureau, after Devin Nunes’ otherwise tepid memo threatened the reputation of the FBI and the good work they do.

In fact, Wray seems determined to boost the morale of those working under him, so after the memo dropped, he sent out words of encouragement.

 “The American people read the papers, and they hear lots of talk on cable TV and social media,” Wray wrote in the message, which was obtained by BBC. “But they see and experience the actual work you do — keeping communities safe and our nation secure, often dealing with sensitive matters and making decisions under difficult circumstances. And that work will always matter more.”

“Talk is cheap; the work you do is what will endure,” he continued.

Wray had warned before the release that he had “grave concerns” about the memo, based on what he saw as inaccurate information.

Anyone who has gave the memo a thorough read and applies a bit of back knowledge, based on what is said, can pick up the inaccurate, or even the omitted information.

Wray told FBI employees that they “speak through our work” and stay “laser-focused … even when it’s not easy, because we believe in the FBI.”

“We believe in what it stands for and in what this institution means to people,” he wrote. “And nothing is going to change that.”

Are we getting the impression that this is important to him and he’s taking the attack on his institution personally?

He finished the letter strong:

The FBI director, appointed by President Trump after former Director James Comey was fired, encouraged employees to “keep doing your great work and keep being the great people you are.”

“I consider it an incredible privilege to work beside you — and that I’m determined to defend your integrity and professionalism every day,” he wrote. “Remember: keep calm and tackle hard.”

Keep calm and tackle hard.

That’s a t-shirt, right there.

The memo, itself, looks to be a truly cherry-picked bit of fluff. Some bits are troubling, but as far as the FBI, it only confirms earlier reports about the so-called “coffee boy,” George Papadopoulos, and the investigation that began after he bragged to an Australian diplomat about Russians shopping dirt on Hillary Clinton.

In fact, the memo may actually help the case for special counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia probe.

Not really what the memo was meant to do, but it just goes to show: Be careful what you ask for.