SPEAKING OF MILITARY OATHS OF ENLISTMENT, OFFICER OATHS, ETC.

SPEAKING OF MILITARY OATHS OF ENLISTMENT, OFFICER OATHS, ETC.

More on the Service Oath Inbox

FlyoverPress.com
More options 9:31 am (2� hours ago)
Yes indeed, interesting stuff.

thegunny, 419

Heya gunny thought you might be interested

While doing some research on oaths taken by individuals joining the
military I ran across the original oaths given to the officers of the
continental armies. This is the original from the revolutionary war,
which applied to military and civilian national officers. The first,
passed on 21 October 1776, read:

"I _____, do acknowledge the Thirteen United States of America,
namely,
New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia, to be free,
independent, and sovereign states, and declare, that the people
thereof
owe no allegiance or obedience to George the third, king of Great
Britain; and I renounce, refuse and abjure any allegiance or obedience
to him; and I do swear that I will, to the utmost of my power,
support,
maintain, and defend the said United States against the said king,
George the third, and his heirs and successors, and his and their
abettors, assistants and adherents; and will serve the said United
States in the office of _____, which I now hold, and in any other
office
which I may hereafter hold by their appointment, or under their
authority, with fidelity and Honor, and according to the best of my
skill and understanding. So help me God."

Very specific about the definition of the United States isn't it.

A revised version was voted and passed on 3 February 1778, reads;

"I, _____ do acknowledge the United States of America to be free,
independent and sovereign states, and declare that the people thereof
owe no allegiance or obedience, to George the third, king of Great
Britain; and I renounce, refuse and abjure any allegiance or obedience
to him: and I do swear (or affirm) that I will, to the utmost of my
power, support, maintain and defend the said United States, against
the
said king George the third and his heirs and successors, and his and
their abettors, assistants and adherents, and will serve the said
United
States in the office of _____ which I now hold, with fidelity,
according
to the best of my skill and understanding. So help me God."

The first oath of military service under the Constitution was approved
by Act of Congress 29 September 1789 (Sec. 3, Ch. 25, 1st Congress).
It
applied to all commissioned officers, noncommissioned officers and
privates in the service of the United States. It came in two parts:

1. "I,______, do solemnly swear or affirm (as the case may be) that I
will support the constitution of the United States."

2. "I,______, do solemnly swear or affirm (as the case may be) to bear
true allegiance to the United States of America, and to serve them
honestly and faithfully, against all their enemies or opposers
whatsoever, and to observe and obey the orders of the President of the
United States of America, and the orders of the officers appointed
over
me."

This version stayed in effect for non-coms and enlisted until it was
changed in 1950. The officer�s oath however went thru many changes. In
1830 the officer oath was changed to:

"I, _____, appointed a _____ in the Army of the United States, do
solemnly swear, or affirm, that I will bear true allegiance to the
United States of America, and that I will serve them honestly and
faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever, and
observe
and obey the orders of the President of the United States, and the
orders of the officers appointed over me, according to the rules and
articles for the government of the Armies of the United States."

Then again in 1862 to:

I,_______, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I have never borne arms
against the United States since I have been a citizen thereof; that I
have voluntarily given no aid, countenance, counsel, or encouragement
to
persons engaged in armed hostility thereto; that I have neither sought
nor accepted nor attempted to exercise the functions of any office
whatsoever under any authority or pretended authority in hostility to
the United States; that I have not yielded voluntary support to any
pretended government, authority, power, or constitution within the
United States, hostile or inimical thereto. And I do further swear (or
affirm) that, to the best of my knowledge and ability, 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."

This is the first instance of an enemy "foreign and domestic". An act
of
13 May 1884 reverted the officer�s oath to:

"I,________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and
defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies,
foreign or 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."

This version was used until 1959. You will note that none of these
have
any way to rescind the oath (not even the one we use at present).
These
oaths are for
life, when you take off the uniform, they don't go away.

Jim Kelly Huff
Empire Ga
--

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Ref
LtGen Greg Newbold recently, in a news article, pointed out the distinction between the oath of enlistment for enlisted Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen, and the Oath taken by officers.

"What are the current oaths of enlistment and oaths for officers?

Enlisted: I (state your 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 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 the regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

Officer: (state your 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; that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God.
Ref
FAQ Leatherneck
http://www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck/faq.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A leader's responsibility "is to give voice to those who can't - or don't have the opportunity to - speak," General Newbold wrote. "Enlisted members of the armed forces swear their oath to those appointed over them; an officer swears an oath not to a person but to the Constitution. The distinction is important."
-Gen Newbold

~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Clipping: " With the encouragement of some still in positions of military leadership, I offer a challenge to those still in uniform: a leader's responsibility is to give voice to those who can't�or don't have the opportunity to�speak. Enlisted members of the armed forces swear their oath to those appointed over them; an officer swears an oath not to a person but to the Constitution. The distinction is important."
their oath to those appointed over them; an officer swears an oath....
REF/LINK, CLICK HERE!!!!!
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