United States Uniformed Services Oath of Office: Difference between revisions

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All officers of the eight uniformed services of the United States swear or affirm an oath of office upon commissioning. It differs from that of the oath of enlistment that enlisted members recite when they enter the service. It is required by statute, the oath being prescribed by Section 3331, Title 5, United States Code.^[1] It is traditional for officers to recite the oath upon promotion but as long as the officer's service is continuous this is not required.^[2]

Text of the oath[edit]

I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.^[1]

The oath applies while in "the office on which I am about to enter."

Officers of the National Guard of the various states, however, take an additional oath:

I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State (Commonwealth, District, Territory) of ___ against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the Office of [grade] in the Army/Air National Guard of the State (Commonwealth, District, Territory) of ___ on which I am about to enter, so help me God.^[3]

Commissioned officers O-1 (second lieutenant or ensign) through O-10 (general or admiral) and W-2 through W-5 (chief warrant officers) are commissioned under the authority of the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the United States Senate; warrant officers (W-1) receive a warrant under the authority of their respective service secretary (e.g., the Secretary of the Army or the Secretary of the Navy); National Guard officers are additionally committed to the authority of the governor of their state. They may be activated in the service of their state in time of local or state emergency in addition to federal activation. Reserve officers may only be activated by the President of the United States.

Air Force[edit]

Officers of the United States Air Force take the following oath:^[4]

I, (state your name), having been appointed a (rank) in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, Foreign and domestic, that I bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me God. (optional)

History[edit]

The first oaths of office were given to those serving under the Continental Army, beginning in 1775. A candidate had to not only name the 13 states, but also swear to keep them "free, independent and sovereign states and declare no allegiance to George the third, king of Great Britain" as well as "defend the United States against King George, his heirs and successors, and his and their abettors, assistants and adherents".

It was first updated in September 1776, after the Declaration of Independence, to swear to be "true to the United States of America, and to serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies opposers whatsoever; and to observe and obey the orders of the Continental Congress and the orders of the Generals and officers set over me by them".

This was changed in 1789 to place allegiance to the Constitution of the United States at the beginning of the oath. It remained relatively unchanged until the 1860s. At this point, the reference to "them" was replaced with "it" to reflect the realities of the divided nation during the American Civil War, as well as the shifting attitude of viewing the United States as one entity rather than a collection of smaller ones. The conflict also resulted in adding the phrase "...all enemies, Foreign and domestic," in reference to Confederate sympathizers, as well as "without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion" in reference to members who were secretly supporting the South.^[5] In 1868, the officer oath was simplified to:

I, A.B., do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.^[6]

The enlisted oath underwent further revision and, as of 1962, read:

: I, ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the president of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.^[6]

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b 5 U.S.C. § 3331, Oath of Office.
^ 10 U.S.C. § 626, Acceptance of promotions; oath of office.
^ National Guard Bureau Form 337 http://www.ngbpdc.ngb.army.mil/forms/ngbf337.htm "Oath of Enlistment". Accessed 24 Jan 2012.
^
Oath of office:
- "Oath of Office" (PDF). Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- "AFI 36-2501" (PDF). 16 July 2004. p. 98. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2020. (Attachment 4)
Note: These sources differ slightly re the text and punctuation of the oath.
^ "US Military Library, 'Going to War 1861'".
^ ^a ^b Keskel, Kenneth (2002). "The Oath of Office : A Historical Guide to Moral Leadership" (PDF). Air and Space Power Journal. 16 (4): 47–58. (Table 1 on pp. 49-50)

[USC10.3331-1] 5 U.S.C. § 3331, Oath of Office.

[USC10.626-2] 10 U.S.C. § 626, Acceptance of promotions; oath of office.

[3] National Guard Bureau Form 337 http://www.ngbpdc.ngb.army.mil/forms/ngbf337.htm "Oath of Enlistment". Accessed 24 Jan 2012.

[4] Oath of office:
"Oath of Office" (PDF). Retrieved 15 November 2020.

"AFI 36-2501" (PDF). 16 July 2004. p. 98. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2020. (Attachment 4)
Note: These sources differ slightly re the text and punctuation of the oath.

[5] "Oath of Office" (PDF). Retrieved 15 November 2020.

[6] "AFI 36-2501" (PDF). 16 July 2004. p. 98. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2020. (Attachment 4)

[5] "US Military Library, 'Going to War 1861'".

[ASPJ16-4pp49-50-6] Keskel, Kenneth (2002). "The Oath of Office : A Historical Guide to Moral Leadership" (PDF). Air and Space Power Journal. 16 (4): 47–58. (Table 1 on pp. 49-50)

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[2]

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[6]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|U.S. military officer's oath}}
-{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2013}}
+{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
-All [[Officer (armed forces)|officers]] of the seven [[uniformed services of the United States]] swear or affirm an '''[[oath of office]]''' upon [[commissioned officer|commissioning]]. It differs slightly from that of the [[oath of enlistment]] that enlisted members recite when they enter the service. It is required by statute, the oath being prescribed by Section 3331, [[Title 5 of the United States Code|Title 5, United States Code]].<ref name=USC10.3331 /> It is traditional for officers to recite the oath upon promotion but as long as the officer's service is continuous this is not required.<ref name=USC10.626>{{usc|10|626}}, ''Acceptance of promotions; oath of office''.</ref>
+All [[Officer (armed forces)|officers]] of the eight [[uniformed services of the United States]] swear or affirm an [[oath of office]] upon commissioning. It differs from that of the [[United States Armed Forces oath of enlistment|oath of enlistment]] that enlisted members recite when they enter the service. It is required by statute, the oath being prescribed by Section 3331, [[Title 5 of the United States Code|Title 5, United States Code]].<ref name=USC10.3331 /> It is traditional for officers to recite the oath upon promotion but as long as the officer's service is continuous this is not required.<ref name=USC10.626>{{usc|10|626}}, ''Acceptance of promotions; oath of office''.</ref>
-==Text of the Oath==
+==Text of the oath==
+{{blockquote|
-{{quotation|
 I, [name], do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.<ref name=USC10.3331>{{usc|5|3331}}, ''Oath of Office''.</ref>
 }}
-The oath is for an indeterminate period; no duration is specifically defined.
+The oath applies while in "the office on which I am about to enter."
-Officers of the [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]] of the various States, however, take an additional oath:
+Officers of the [[National Guard (United States)|National Guard]] of the various states, however, take an additional oath:
-{{quotation|
+{{blockquote|
-I, ''[name]'', do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State (Commonwealth, District, Territory) of ___
+I, ''[name]'', do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State (Commonwealth, District, Territory) of ___ against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the Office of ''[grade]'' in the Army/Air National Guard of the State (Commonwealth, District, Territory) of ___ on which I am about to enter, so help me God.<ref>National Guard Bureau Form 337 http://www.ngbpdc.ngb.army.mil/forms/ngbf337.htm "Oath of Enlistment". Accessed 24 Jan 2012.</ref>
-against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor of the State (Commonwealth, District, Territory) of ___, that I make this obligation freely, without any mental reservations or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the Office of ''[grade]'' in the Army/Air National Guard of the State (Commonwealth, District, Territory) of ___ on which I am about to enter, so help me God.<ref>National Guard Bureau Form 337 http://www.ngbpdc.ngb.army.mil/forms/ngbf337.htm "Oath of Enlistment". Accessed Jan 24 2012.</ref>
 }}
-Commissioned officers (O-1 (second lieutenant or ensign) through O-10 (general or admiral) and W-2 through W-5 (chief warrant officers)) are commissioned under the authority of the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the [[United States Senate]]; [[Warrant Officer (United States)|warrant officers]] (W-1) receive a [[Warrant (law)|warrant]] under the authority of their respective service secretary (e.g., the [[United States Secretary of the Army|Secretary of the Army]] or the [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]]); National Guard officers are additionally committed to the authority of the [[Governor (United States)|governor]] of their state. They may be activated in the service of their state in time of local or state emergency in addition to federal activation. Reserve officers may only be activated by the President of the United States.
+Commissioned officers O-1 (second lieutenant or ensign) through O-10 (general or admiral) and W-2 through W-5 (chief warrant officers) are commissioned under the authority of the [[President of the United States]] with the advice and consent of the [[United States Senate]]; [[Warrant officer (United States)|warrant officers]] (W-1) receive a [[Warrant (law)|warrant]] under the authority of their respective service secretary (e.g., the [[United States Secretary of the Army|Secretary of the Army]] or the [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]]); National Guard officers are additionally committed to the authority of the [[Governor (United States)|governor]] of their state. They may be activated in the service of their state in time of local or state emergency in addition to federal activation. Reserve officers may only be activated by the President of the United States.
-== History ==
+===Air Force===
+Officers of the [[United States Air Force]] take the following oath:<ref>Oath of office:
-The first oaths of office were given to those serving under the [[Continental Army]], beginning in 1775.  A candidate had to not only name the 13 states, but also swear to keep them "free, independent and sovereign states and declare no allegiance to George the third, king of Great Britain” as well as “defend the United States against King George, his heirs and successors, and his and their abettors, assistants and adherents.”
+* {{cite web |title=Oath of Office |url=https://www.airman.af.mil/Portals/17/002%20All%20Products/006%20Trifolds/Oath_Cards.pdf?ver=2015-07-20-142332-970 |access-date=15 November 2020}}
+* {{cite web |title=AFI 36-2501 |url=https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2501/afi36-2501.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20211215164829/https://static.e-publishing.af.mil/production/1/af_a1/publication/afi36-2501/afi36-2501.pdf|archivedate=15 December 2021|url-status=dead|access-date=15 November 2020|page=98|date=16 July 2004}} (Attachment 4)
+Note: These sources differ slightly re the text and punctuation of the oath.</ref>
+{{blockquote|
+I, (state your name), having been appointed a (rank) in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, Foreign and domestic, that I bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter. So help me
+God. (optional)
+}}
+==History==
-It was first updated in September 1776, after the [[Declaration of Independence]], to swear to be “true to the United States of America, and to serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies opposers whatsoever; and to observe and obey the orders of the Continental Congress and the orders of the Generals and officers set over me by them.”
+The first oaths of office were given to those serving under the [[Continental Army]], beginning in 1775. A candidate had to not only name the 13 states, but also swear to keep them "free, independent and sovereign states and declare no allegiance to George the third, king of Great Britain" as well as "defend the United States against King George, his heirs and successors, and his and their abettors, assistants and adherents".
+It was first updated in September 1776, after the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]], to swear to be "true to the United States of America, and to serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies opposers whatsoever; and to observe and obey the orders of the Continental Congress and the orders of the Generals and officers set over me by them".
-This was changed in 1789 to place allegiance to the [[Constitution of the United States]] at the beginning of the oath.  It would remain relatively unchanged until the 1860s.  At this point, the reference to "them" was replaced with "it" to reflect both the realities of the states divided during the [[American Civil War]] but also the shifting attitude of viewing the United States as one entity rather than a collection of smaller ones.
+This was changed in 1789 to place allegiance to the [[Constitution of the United States]] at the beginning of the oath. It remained relatively unchanged until the 1860s. At this point, the reference to "them" was replaced with "it" to reflect the realities of the divided nation during the [[American Civil War]], as well as the shifting attitude of viewing the United States as one entity rather than a collection of smaller ones. The conflict also resulted in adding the phrase "...all enemies, Foreign ''and domestic''," in reference to Confederate sympathizers, as well as "without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion" in reference to members who were secretly supporting the South.<ref>{{Cite web |title=US Military Library, 'Going to War 1861' |url=https://usmalibrary.omeka.net/exhibits/show/westpointcivilwar/going-to-war}}</ref> In 1868, the officer oath was simplified to:
-In 1884, it was simplified to having the candidate “solemnly swear (or affirm) to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic; to bear true faith and allegiance to the same; to take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and to well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.”
+{{blockquote|I, A.B., do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.<ref name=ASPJ16-4pp49-50>{{cite journal|last=Keskel|first=Kenneth|title=The Oath of Office : A Historical Guide to Moral Leadership|url=https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/Portals/10/ASPJ/journals/Volume-16_Issue-1-4/Win02.pdf|journal=Air and Space Power Journal|volume=16|issue=4|year=2002|pages=47-58}} (Table 1 on pp. 49-50)</ref>}}
+The enlisted oath underwent further revision and, as of 1962, read:
+{{blockquote|: I, ___, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the president of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.<ref name=ASPJ16-4pp49-50 />}}
+==See also==
-This would be the oath until 1959, when it found its current form.<ref>{{citeweb|title=The Sextant|url=http://usnhistory.navylive.dodlive.mil/2014/09/17/227-years-of-military-oaths-to-support-and-defend-the-constitution/}}</ref>
+* [[United States Armed Forces oath of enlistment]]
-== References ==
+==References==
 {{Reflist}}
 {{US military navbox}}
-{{DEFAULTSORT:United States Uniformed Services Oath Of Office}}
+{{DEFAULTSORT:United States Uniformed Services Oath of Office}}
 [[Category:Military oaths]]
 [[Category:United States military traditions]]

Latest revision as of 20:39, 29 April 2024

Text of the oath[edit]

Air Force[edit]

History[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]