United States Armed Forces oath of enlistment

Last updated

An Air Force officer administering the oath to a group of 150 enlistees (not pictured) Oath of enlistment * DF-ST-91-07705.JPEG
An Air Force officer administering the oath to a group of 150 enlistees (not pictured)
A Marine re-enlisting in the Marine Corps by taking the oath of enlistment
A soldier of United States Army Europe taking the oath on Red Square prior to the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade EUCOM Image (1).jpg
A soldier of United States Army Europe taking the oath on Red Square prior to the 2010 Moscow Victory Day Parade

The oath of enlistment is a military oath made by members of the United States Armed Forces who enlist.

Contents

Description

Upon enlisting in the United States Armed Forces, each person enlisting in an armed force (whether a soldier, Marine, sailor, airman, or Coast Guardsman) takes an oath of enlistment required by federal statute in 10 U.S.C.   § 502. That section provides the text of the oath and sets out who may administer the oath:

§ 502. Enlistment oath: who may administer

(a) Enlistment Oath.— Each person enlisting in an armed force shall take the following oath:

I, (state name of enlistee), 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)."

Or, if enlisting in the National Guard:

I, (state name of enlistee), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and of the State of (applicable state) against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to them; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor of (applicable state) and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to law and regulations. (So help me God)."

(b) Who May Administer.— The oath may be taken before the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary of Defense, any commissioned officer, or any other person designated under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

Army Regulation 601-210, Active and Reserve Components Enlistment Program provides that:

A commissioned officer of any service will administer the Oath of Enlistment in DD Form 4 orally, in English, to each application. Make a suitable arrangement to ensure that the oath is administered in a dignified manner and in proper surroundings. Display the U.S. flag prominently near the officer giving the oath. The words "So help me God" may be omitted for persons who desire to affirm rather than to swear to the oath. [1]

There is no duration defined in the oath itself. The term of service for each enlisted person is written on the DD Form 4 series, the contract which specifies the active-duty or reserve enlistment period. For a first-time enlistee, this varies from two to six years,which can be a combination of active duty and time spent in a reserve component, although enlisted reservists are subject to activation until the end of the eight-year initial military obligation. [2] [ failed verification ][ better source needed ]

Officers do not take the same oath as enlisted personnel, instead taking a similar United States Uniformed Services Oath of Office.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of office</span> Official promise by a person elected to public office to lawfully fulfill its duties

An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before assuming the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations. Such oaths are often required by the laws of the state, religious body, or other organization before the person may actually exercise the powers of the office or organization. It may be administered at an inauguration, coronation, enthronement, or other ceremony connected with the taking up of office itself, or it may be administered privately. In some cases it may be administered privately and then repeated during a public ceremony.

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. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath</span> Personal affirmation of a statement

Traditionally an oath is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to give an affirmation instead. Nowadays, even when there is no notion of sanctity involved, certain promises said out loud in ceremonial or juridical purpose are referred to as oaths. "To swear" is a verb used to describe the taking of an oath, to making a solemn vow.

The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) is the foundation of the system of military justice of the armed forces of the United States. The UCMJ was established by the United States Congress in accordance with their constitutional authority, per Article I Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution, which provides that "The Congress shall have Power. .. to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval forces" of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of office of the president of the United States</span> Oath taken by a new president of the United States

The oath of office of the president of the United States is the oath or affirmation that the president of the United States takes upon assuming office. The wording of the oath is specified in Article II, Section One, Clause 8, of the United States Constitution, and a new president must take it before exercising or carrying out any official powers or duties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of Allegiance (Canada)</span> Promise of fealty to the Canadian monarch

The Canadian Oath of Allegiance is a promise or declaration of fealty to the Canadian monarch—as personification of the Canadian state and its authority, rather than as an individual person—taken, along with other specific oaths of office, by new occupants of various federal and provincial government offices; members of federal, provincial, and municipal police forces; members of the Canadian Armed Forces; and, in some provinces, all lawyers upon admission to the bar. The Oath of Allegiance also makes up the first portion of the Oath of Citizenship, the taking of which is a requirement of obtaining Canadian nationality.

An oath of citizenship is an oath taken by immigrants that officially naturalizes immigrants into citizens. It is often the final step in this process, and is usually done in a ceremonial capacity. An oath of citizenship is designed to be a statement of patriotism and loyalty to the new country. In countries which retain a monarchical system of government, an oath of allegiance to the monarch is often required as well. Adding an oath to God to the end of an oath is usually optional.

The following is a list of the Polish military oaths, both historical and contemporary.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Navy Reserve</span> Reserve Component of the United States Navy

The United States Navy Reserve (USNR), known as the United States Naval Reserve from 1915 to 2005, is the Reserve Component (RC) of the United States Navy. Members of the Navy Reserve, called Reservists, are categorized as being in either the Selected Reserve (SELRES), the Training and Administration of the Reserve (TAR), the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), or the Retired Reserve.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of Allegiance (United Kingdom)</span> Promise to be loyal to the British monarch

The Oath of Allegiance is a promise to be loyal to the British monarch, and his or her heirs and successors, sworn by certain public servants in the United Kingdom, and also by newly naturalised subjects in citizenship ceremonies. The current standard wording of the oath of allegiance is set out in the Promissory Oaths Act 1868.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oath of Allegiance (United States)</span> Official oath of allegiance in the U.S

The Oath of Allegiance of the United States is the official oath of allegiance that must be taken and subscribed by every immigrant who wishes to become a United States citizen.

It is usual for police officers take an oath to uphold the law. The following is a selection from different countries.

Sworn testimony is evidence given by a witness who has made a commitment to tell the truth. If the witness is later found to have lied whilst bound by the commitment, they can often be charged with the crime of perjury. The types of commitment can include oaths, affirmations and promises which are explained in more detail below. The exact wording of the commitments vary from country to country.

The Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) is a United States Army and United States Air Force federal military program which places Army National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers and Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve airmen on federal active duty status under Title 10 U.S.C., or full-time National Guard duty under Title 32 U.S.C. 502(f) for a period of 180 consecutive days or greater in order to provide full-time support to National Guard and Reserve organizations for the purpose of leading, organizing, administering, recruiting, instructing, or training the Reserve Components according to Subsection 101(d)(6). AGR personnel may also be assigned to active duty roles in support of Regular Army and Regular Air Force organizations or joint organizations such as the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Army, Secretary of the Air Force, the Joint Staff, or the Unified Combatant Commands.

"So help me God" is a phrase often used to give an oath, sometimes optionally as part of an oath of office. It is used in some jurisdictions as an oath for performing a public duty, such as an appearance in court. The phrase implies greater care than usual in the truthfulness of one's testimony or in the performance of one's duty.

A juror's oath is used to swear in jurors at the beginning of jury selection or trial.

The Oath of Allegiance is an oath administered to and recited by immigrants who wish to accede to the citizenship of the Republic of the Philippines. The current oath, based on the United States Oath of Allegiance, was first enshrined in Commonwealth Act No. 473, the Revised Naturalization Law of 1939, with the modern version enshrined in Republic Act No. 9225, the Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Officer (armed forces)</span> Person in a position of authority

An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oaths Act 1978</span> United Kingdom legislation

The Oaths Act 1978 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military oath</span>

A military oath, also known as the oath of enlistment or swearing-in is an oath delivered by a conscript or volunteer upon enlisting into the state's armed forces. Various states have different phrasings of the oath, with the common component being the fidelity to the state and obedience to the superior officers. In the ancient times it was a very solemn procedure. In modern times, with many formal laws and regulations to maintain army discipline, it is still a solemn, but rather a formal event.

References

  1. "Army Regulation 601-210, Active and Reserve Components Enlistment Program" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  2. "Active vs. Reserve vs. National Guard: How You Can Serve". goarmy.com. Retrieved 11 January 2019.