Statutes, codes, and regulations
United States Code
Title 10 - ARMED FORCESSubtitle A - GENERAL MILITARY LAWPart II - PERSONNEL
Chapter 31 - ENLISTMENTS
Section 502 - [1] Enlistment oath: who may administer

10 U.S.C. § 502

Download
PDF
Current through P.L. 118-47 (published on www.congress.gov on 03/23/2024)
Section 502 - [1] Enlistment oath: who may administer
(a) ENLISTMENT OATH.-Each person enlisting in an armed force shall take the following oath:

"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."

(b) WHO MAY ADMINISTER.-The oath may be taken before the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary of Defense, any commissioned officer, or any other person designated under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense.

1 Another section 502 is set out in chapter 25 of this title.

10 U.S.C. § 502

Aug. 10, 1956, ch. 1041, 70A Stat. 17, §501; Pub. L. 87-751, §1, Oct. 5, 1962, 76 Stat. 748; renumbered §502, Pub. L. 90-235, §2(a)(1)(A), Jan. 2, 1968, 81 Stat. 753; Pub. L. 101-189, div. A, title VI, §653(a)(1), Nov. 29, 1989, 103 Stat. 1462; Pub. L. 109-364, div. A, title V, §595(a), Oct. 17, 2006, 120 Stat. 2235.

HISTORICAL AND REVISION NOTES
Revised sectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large)
501 50:737. May 5, 1950, ch. 169, §8, 64 Stat. 146.
The words "or affirmation" are omitted as covered by the definition of the word "oath" in section 1 of title 1. The words "of any armed force" are inserted in the last sentence, since they are necessarily implied by their use in the source statute.

EDITORIAL NOTES

REFERENCES IN TEXTThe Uniform Code of Military Justice, referred to in the oath, is classified to chapter 47 (§801 et seq.) of this title.

AMENDMENTS2006- Pub. L. 109-364 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, struck out concluding provisions which read as follows: "This oath may be taken before any commissioned officer of any armed force.", and added subsec. (b).1989- Pub. L. 101-189 struck out "or affirmation" after "This oath". 1962- Pub. L. 87-751 substituted "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" for "bear true faith and allegiance to the United States of America; that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies whomsoever" and inserted "So help me God" in the oath, and "or affirmation" in text.

STATUTORY NOTES AND RELATED SUBSIDIARIES

EFFECTIVE DATE OF 1962 AMENDMENT Pub. L. 87-751, §3, Oct. 5, 1962, 76 Stat. 748, provided that: "This Act [amending this section and section 304 of Title 32, National Guard] does not affect any oath taken before one year after its enactment [Oct. 5, 1962]."

National Guard
The term "National Guard" means the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard.
commissioned officer
The term "commissioned officer" includes a commissioned warrant officer.