US Military Oath of Enlistment

In my eight years, three months and two days of military service, I had to take the oath of enlistment several times. I'd like to share that with you, and examine it a little bit.

The oath I took was as follows:

"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; 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."

This oath, with the optional "So help me God" (SEE NOTE 1) was enacted in 1962, replacing the original 1789 oath, which had two parts:

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

and

2."I, A.B., 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."

Notice this in the 1789 version (written and passed by the First Congress): No mention of any god. Just like the Constitution. Or the first US coinage (which read: "Lib[erty]: Par[ent] of Science and Industry"

You have to wonder why the oath was changed at all. It worked from 1789 to 1960 (when the law was passed), so why change it? Our military had triumphed in several huge wars (The War Between The States and World Wars I and II, for starters). A conspiracy theorist, or observant student of US history, might think that the insertion of a certain god followed the old strategy of religious fundamentalists trying to usurp/weaken the Constitution and the nation it created by cramming their religion into the game, as on our money (no god on coinage until the 1860s, with it added to the pleadge of allegiance in the 1950s and paper money in the 1960s).

Is it a coincidence that we haven't actually won a war since a god was inserted into the oath? (SEE NOTE 2). Our major military conflicts have not gone well, especially for the most powerful and wealthy nation the world has ever seen. It's pretty embarrassing, actually. That is not a knock on our military members (SEE NOTE 3) so much as it is on the "leadership" thereof.

Former actor Kirk Cameron has said that his god has been punishing the US for its waywardness with droughts, hurricanes, etc (Really. Check YouTube of you don't believe me), yet has failed to note that those things disporportionately affect the South (AKA, The Bible Belt). Now add the failure of the military since the oath change and you have to think that Kirk and his god are on the wrong side.

I have never recanted my military oath (SEE NOTE 4), and I believe in the Constitution more strongly now than ever, mostly as a function of my continuing studies of history. As far as I am concerned, I still have an obligation to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic"and "bear true faith and allegiance to the same."

XXX

NOTE 1: I probably said the "So help me god" part, being as how I was naive about the ongoing religious attack on the Constitution. But it is kind of a worthless phrase anyway, as the term "god" was undefined.

NOTE 2:Technically, we haven't fought a war since World War II -- The Constitution says that "The Congress shall have power to... declare war" and everything since WWII has been a function of the executive branch.

NOTE 3: When I say it is not a knock on the military members, I do not mean all military members. Any veteran will tell you that they had fellow military members who weren't physically, mentally or morally fit to shovel shit, let alone defend a nation. Most military members are dedicated and hardworking, but there are some real losers in there, as in almost any demographic group.

NOTE 4: Although I have not recanted my oath, my civilian status removes the applicability of "orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice." As for the President, as long as his orders and actions are in line with allegiance to the Constitution, I am with him.