I have been asked several times in the last week about the Oath we took and what it means, It appears that people think because we dont blindly follow our President, then we are not following our Oath. So I will briefly explain it again. Read the Oath again, there is a reason the Oath mentions the Constitution first, The Constitution is to be protected against all enemies foreign or domestic, Then and only then do we obey the President of the United States, Now the Officers oath does not mention the President at all, Now what exactly did those Oaths mean? What promises did I make in my affirmations to my countrymen? Let’s take a look and then break down the sections: 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. I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States. According to the first section of the Oath of Enlistment, the primary function of the soldier is in defense of the citizens who are protected by the Constitution and preservation of the core principles of the founding document itself. There is no doubt that many young men and women who take this Oath, along with a room full of nervous, fresh recruits who are on their way to “Boot Camp” for basic training, rarely realize the gravity of the Oath in that situation. Many of the protections afforded to them and their fellow recruits have been glossed over in the public schools they recently graduated from, some demonized, some misconstrued and some ignored altogether. It is not until many of them have served for years and took the Oath again during a reenlistment ceremony, or a service transfer, that they can actually appreciate the powerful commitment that was made with their voice and right hand. Against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Perhaps the most important part of the Oath is the identification of those who must be suppressed in the defense of it; our enemies… Who are our enemies though? Well, the Founding Fathers in their infinite wisdom and experience with usurpatious overlords realized that our enemies can be an invading foreign army or more ominous, a Federal, or State government running wild here at home. That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same. This section is fairly self-explanatory, that I as a member of the Military or Law Enforcement will not dishonor myself or my position by failing to uphold my Oath to the Constitution and will always align myself on the side of the right and the just; not on the side of political expedience or material or financial gain. No matter what we are told; we will choose the path that honors our Oath and those who have placed their trust in us for their defense. 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. This section of the Oath of Enlistment is the one that confuses the most people outside of the military. Obey is a very strong word that implies total obedience; an almost slave like submission to higher authority… subjugation. It implies that those sworn to obey will blindly follow the orders handed down to them by the President or the officers above them in blind obedience to the hive. Once again, this could not be further from the truth and here is why: “According to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.” Whoa! What does that mean?? It means that there are restrictions in place that prevent the following of orders that go against the previous principles of the Oath and that harsh penalties are in place to punish those who obey orders which are in violation of the Constitution. Don’t believe me? Ask all of the German officers brought up on war crimes at the Nuremberg Trials following World War two. Simply “Following orders” was no excuse for atrocities committed by the men and did nothing to help them avert the short drop and quick stop of the hangman’s gallows. Ask the handful of American soldiers that have been brought up on charges for “Following orders.” Judging by the few instances in modern warfare in which soldiers and police officers have violated the people’s trust it is only reasonable to assume that very few would participate in actions deemed unconstitutional by them and their commanders. So help me God. The final affirmation in the Oath is simply the acknowledgement that we will be held responsible, in this life and the next, to a higher power for our actions here on Earth. That the choices we make will follow us into the afterlife or through posterity. That if we choose to violate our Oaths, the repercussions are eternal, and unforgivable.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Jul 2014 13:49:14 +0000
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