Every person who desires to join the Army or armed services has a special privilege. It is not the benefits or incentives, rank or pay, there is a higher honor afforded to every member of the United States military. This honor is outlined in the US Armed Forces Oath of Enlistment.

The Oath Itself

“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.”

Traditions Stand Strong

The US Armed Forces Oath of Enlistment is a sacred tradition going back to the birth of our nation in 1775. What makes this Oath unique is that each enlisted man or woman is not pledging to defend a particular person or place. Instead, service in the military is about protecting the Constitution, the basis for all of our liberties and freedoms. The higher ideals in life are what deserve such a solemn Oath and there is no greater cause than the defense of liberty, whether it is the 18^th century of the 21^st.

The pride and sense of purpose that soldiers feel stems from this Oath. Knowing that the time spent in the armed services is spent in honoring the ideals of a nation and a free people are what enable ordinary people to perform extraordinary feats.