- “I, _____________, do solemnly swear or affirm (as the case may be) that I will support the constitution of the United States.”
- “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.”
- “the said troops shall be governed by the rules and articles of war, which have been established by the United States in Congress assembled, or by such rules and articles of war as may hereafter by law be established.”
Written by Jenifer Chrisman on October 31, 2016.
Oath of Enlistment
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.(May 5, 1960: Title 10, US Code – Amendment: October 5, 1962)
Oath of Office
“I, _____________ (SSAN), having been appointed an officer in the
Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of _____________
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;
and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon
which I am about to enter; So help me God.”(August 1, 1959: DA Form 71)
As part of the act of creating the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, different oaths were established for enlisted and officers by the Continental Congress.
Enlisted – June 14, 1775:
“I _____________ have, this day, voluntarily enlisted myself, as a soldier, in the American continental army, for one year, unless sooner discharged: And I do bind myself to conform, in all instances, to such rules and regulations, as are, or shall be, established for the government of the said Army.”
Enlisted – September 20, 1776 (Section 3, Article 1, of the Articles of War):
“I _____________ swear (or affirm as the case may be) to be trued to the United States of America, and to serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies opposers whatsoever; and to observe and obey the orders of the Continental Congress, and the orders of the Generals and officers set over me by them.”
Officers – October 21, 1776 (applied to military and civilian national officers):
“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 honour, and according to the best of my skill and understanding. So help me God.”
Officers – February 3, 1778
“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.”
On September 29, 1789, the first Oath of Office was approved by an Act of Congress (Sec. 3, Ch. 25, 1st Congress). Under the Constitution, this oath applied to all military (commissioned, non-commissioned and enlisted) in the service of the United States.
The original oath was written in two parts:
It was followed by a section of chapter that specified:
Unlike the oath of enlistment, which remained unchanged until 1950, the officer’s oath underwent considerable minor modifications over the years:
1830:
“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.”
July 2, 1862:
“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.”
May 13, 1884:
“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.”
The current version of the Oath of Office came into effect on August 1, 1959 and the Oath of Enlistment on May 5, 1960, with an amendment on October 5, 1962.
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