'so help me God' and the Air Force (updated in reply #2)

[Deleted]

Atheist airman must swear 'so help me God' or get out in November
Sep. 9, 2014 - 06:00AM

An atheist airman at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada has until November to change his mind and swear a reenlistment oath to God, the Air Force said.

The unnamed airman was denied reenlistment Aug. 25 for refusing to take an oath that concludes with the phrase “so help me God,” the American Humanist Association said in a Sept. 2 letter to the inspectors general for the Air Force and Creech. In her letter, Monica Miller, an attorney with the AHA’s Apignani Humanist Legal Center, said the airman should be given the choice to reenlist by swearing a secular oath. She said the AHA will sue if the airman is not allowed to reenlist.

In a Sept. 5 email, Air Force spokeswoman Rose Richeson said the airman is still serving and will continue to do so for at least two more months.

“The airman’s term of service expires in November 2014,” Richeson said. “He has until this time to complete the Department of Defense Form 4 in compliance with the Title 10 USC 502.”

The four-page DD Form 4, which is titled “Enlistment/Reenlistment Document, Armed Forces of the United States,” contains a “confirmation of enlistment or reenlistment” oath that reads, “I, [insert 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.”

The AHA said the airman crossed out the last four words in that oath, and was told Aug. 25 that the Air Force would not accept it for that reason. The airman was told his only options were to sign the religious oath section of the contract without adjustment and recite an oath concluding with “so help me God,” or leave the Air Force, the AHA said.

Read the remainder at: WEBPAGE LINK - Air Force Times

[Deleted]

This is wrong on so many levels... EVERYONE with any sense should be against this requirement.

If you believe in God, and want to swear by him, that's great. Awesome in fact that you can (have the freedom to do so). If you don't believe in God however, how can you swear by something you believe to be a lie? How could your oath have any meaning if it contains untruth (based on your beliefs)?

The US Constitution, courtesy of the First Amendment, grants freedom of religion... even Atheism. Did the Air Force forget that?

Also... I wonder if they make Muslim Airmen swear "So help me God"? It's basically the same situation. "God" (the word, not the being, that can be argued elsewhere) is not "Allah".

What about any Hindu Airmen?

[Deleted]

AF to change instructions for oaths
Published September 17, 2014

WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force has instructed force support offices across the service to allow both enlisted members and officers to omit the words “So help me God” from enlistment and officer appointment oaths if an Airman chooses.

In response to concerns raised by Airmen, the Department of the Air Force requested an opinion from the Department of Defense General Counsel addressing the legal parameters of the oath. The resulting opinion concluded that an individual may strike or omit the words “So help me God” from an enlistment or appointment oath if preferred.

“We take any instance in which Airmen report concerns regarding religious freedom seriously,” said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. “We are making the appropriate adjustments to ensure our Airmen's rights are protected.”

... More here: WEBPAGE LINK - US Air Force

[Deleted]

I'm sure a JAG lawyer told the AF there was no chance they could win this one and they would have bad publicity fighting it.

[zibazinski]

Wait a minute, he swore to it already but now he doesn't want to?

[Tennesseer]

Sept 22, 2014 18:50:53 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Wait a minute, he swore to it already but now he doesn't want to?

Do people not change over time?

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2014 18:50:53 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Wait a minute, he swore to it already but now he doesn't want to?

No. He originally swore the Oath without it. The Air Force changed their guidelines in 2013.

ETA: this was included in "the rest of the story" at the link in the OP:

The Air Force used to allow airmen to omit the phrase “so help me God” if they so chose. But an Oct. 30, 2013, update to Air Force Instruction 36-2606, which spells out the active-duty oath of enlistment, dropped that option.

[zibazinski]

I wonder what other changes have gone on in his life?

[zibazinski]

Oh, thanks, Richard. I posted before I read your posts.

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2014 19:06:24 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Oh, thanks, Richard. I posted before I read your posts.

Happy to help!

[mmhmm]

It seems to me one wouldn't want those who don't believe making a statement like that. It's hypocritical in the extreme and disrespectful, IMO, of those who do believe.

[Deleted]

Sept 22, 2014 19:11:42 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

It seems to me one wouldn't want those who don't believe making a statement like that. It's hypocritical in the extreme and disrespectful, IMO, of those who do believe.

One WOULD think that... I agree.

Unfortunately more believers (that I saw across the boards and news websites that were carrying the story), were of the opinion that "hopefully requiring it would keep the non-believers out... because only people with faith in God are moral enough to defend this Christian Nation"

Garbage in my opinion... but it is what I saw a lot in comments after the articles.