Military to Pledge Oath To Obama, Not Constitution-Fiction! and Satire!

Military to Pledge Oath To Obama, Not ConstitutionFiction! and Satire!

Summary of eRumor:

A forwarded email consisting of an article by Michele Chang saying that US Military personnel will be pledging an oath of loyalty to President Barack Obama instead of the US Constitution.

The Truth:

This is political satire posted on a web site called “Jumping in Pools” by internet blogger Matthew Avitabile.   The web site clearly informs the reader that the article is satire but the warning failed to be included when this eRumor went into circulation at the end of January of 2009.   Click for blog site

Since the adoption of the Constitution, the United States has had a tradition of swearing in our military personnel to defend the Constitution and obey the orders of the President.   The Military oath is written into title 10, chapter 31 § 502 of the US Code and can be found in the Cornell University Law School Library.  Click for Cornell library

This oath is administered to enlisted personnel:

“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.” 

updated 6/22/09