I n t e g r i t y - S e r v i c e - E x c e l l e n c e

Sustaining the Combat Capability of America’s Air Force

The Oath of Office: The Last Word

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Oath of Office

Comprehend the significance

of the oath of office

and commissioning

Lesson objective:

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Oath of Office

1. In your own words, state themeaning of the oath of office

Samples of behavior:

2. Summarize the significanceof commissioning

Overview

• Oath Of Office

• Meaning Of Commission• Service

• Sacrifice

• Responsibility

• Fun

• Oath Controversy

Douglas MacArthur

Colin PowellCurtis LeMay

Ulysses S. GrantBenjamin O. Davis

Eddie Rickenbacker

Hoyt Vandenburg

Chuck Yeager

Norman Schwartzkopf

Lance P. Sijan

Hilliard Willbanks

Steven Bennett

Joseph Loring

William Jones

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Oath Background

• Hippocratic Oath• Military Oaths date back to ancient Rome• 1st Congress on 1 June 1789 created a law regulating the

time and manner of administering certain oaths• Basically for civil/military officials to support the Constitution• Implemented the requirement in Article 6 of the Constitution (…bound

by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution.)• 1st officer oath: I <name> do solemnly swear or affirm (as the case may be)

that I will support the Constitution of the United States.

• 29 Sept 1789 – Enlisted oath created

• Many variations in the military oath (Revolutionary War, Civil War, post Civil War, post WWII)

• Big Picture: call to a higher power, a statement to perform to the best of one’s abilities, honor, consequences of not keeping one’s word

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

I, (state your full name), having been appointed a second lieutenant, in the United States Air Force, do solemnly swear 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 upon which I am about to enter, so help me God.

The Oath

What Does the Commission Mean?

• Service

• Sacrifice

• Responsibility

• Fun

Service

• Country

• Self

• Peers

• Family

We in the military do what we do--fight, prepare to launch nuclear weapons, and prepare to kill if need be--to defend our Constitution and the ideals of democracy, so that our friends and peers can lead their lives in freedom.

Sacrifice

• Life

• Freedom

• Family

Responsibility

• The Mission

• Superiors

• Subordinates

• Yourself

Fun

• Jobs

• Assignments

• Friends / family

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Oath of Office to Core Values4

Oath of Office Core Values

Air Force Navy/Marine Corps

Army

I will support and defend the Constitution

of the United States against all enemies,

foreign and domestic.

Service Before Self

Courage Selfless Service

Personal Courage

Loyalty

I take this obligation freely, without any

mental reservation or purpose of evasion.

Integrity First Honor Integrity

I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I

am about to enter.

Excellence in All We Do

Commitment Duty

Respect

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Oath Controversy

• Is the Oath of Office biased? What do you think is the most controversial line in the oath?

• What might it be violating (in a religious context)?• Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment

• What is this?• Arguments for a Violation:• Arguments against a Violation:

• Inconsistent with Presidential Oath of Office• “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of

the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

• Arguments for a Violation:• Arguments against a Violation:

• Violates the last line of Article VI• Arguments for a Violation:• Arguments against a Violation:

Freedom Is Not FreeI Watched A Flag Pass By One

Day,It Fluttered In The Breeze.

A Young Airman Saluted It,And Then He Stood At Ease.

I Thought How Many Men Like Him,

Had Fallen Through The Years.How Many Died On Foreign

Soil,How Many Mother’s Tears.

How Many Pilot’s Planes Shot Down,

How Many Died At Sea.How Many Foxholes Were

Soldiers Graves,No, Freedom Is Not Free.

I Heard The Sound Of Taps One Night,

When Everything Was Still.I Listened To The Bugler Play,

And Felt A Sudden Chill.I Wondered Just How Many

Times,That Taps Had Meant “Amen.”When A Flag Had Covered A

Coffin,Of A Brother Or A Friend.

I Thought Of All The Children,Of Mothers And The Wives,

Of Fathers, Sons And Husbands,

With Interrupted Lives.I Thought About A Graveyard,

At The Bottom Of The Sea.Of Unmarked Graves At

Arlington,No, Freedom Is Not Free.

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Sources

1. The Military Oath of Office, Colonel Orwyn Sampson, USAF Academy Journal of Professional Military Ethics, September 1981.

2. AFP 190-13, The Armed Forces Officer, Armed Forces Information Service, Department of Defense, 1988.

3. Niel Misholov’s Vietnam War Medal of Honor Web page (http://www.mishalov.com/citations.html).

4. The Oath of Office, Lt Col Keskel, Air & Space Power Journal, Winter 2002

Summary

• Oath Of Office• Meaning Of Commission

• Service• Sacrifice• Responsibility• Fun

• Poem