10 USC 502 - 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.

(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.

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Last modified: October 26, 2015