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.”

This is from my USAF Handbook, Feb. 1969. I took this oath in Chicago, Feb. 1969 and am very pleased to learn that Ron Paul is a vet.

He had my vote before I knew this.

Only problem is, he wants smaller federal government and less taxes…and they apparently want nothing to do with that.

Bill is right about the oath; above all, the oath is first and foremost about the Constitution, and defense of the the Constitution against its enemies, rather than politics, is the purpose of military service. For that reason, I was able, like many, to take the oath and serve with a clear conscience in Vietnam, although I didn’t agree with the war.

Ernest, though, is also right, in the sense that men and women who serve put themselves in harm’s way. Many die, many more bear the scars of mental and physical wounds from service for their lifetime.

What I find distressing today, looking back at age 60, is that many so-called “conservatives” have come equate patriotism with “talking the talk” — loudly proclaiming a right-wing political stance — rather than “walking the walk” — actual service. The volunteer military is undoubtedly easier to manage than a military based on universal service, but we’ve lost a great deal, it seems to me, by abandoning the idea that every citizen should bear an equal share of the risks of military service.

It is telling that, leaving aside John McCain’s flips and flops over the years about DADT, Ron Paul is the only Republican presidential candidate who openly opposes DADT. The rest of the crowd, all of whom apparently had something better to do than put on a uniform when of age for service, hew the line drawn by the Religious Right. It is all nonsense.

Nope, They swear to defend the CONSTITUTION from all enemies foreign and domestic, at least that is the oath I took.

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.”

Congressman Ron Paul seved as an Air Force Flight Surgeon in the 60’s.

Ron Paul
Paul’s medical training was interrupted when he was drafted during the Cuban Missile Crisis into the United States Air Force. He remained in the military during the early years of the Vietnam War. He was never sent to Vietnam, instead serving active duty (1963-1965) that took him to other countries, including South Korea, Iran, Ethiopia and Turkey. He served as a flight surgeon out of Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas from 1963 to 1965. He then served in the Air National Guard from 1965 to 1968 while completing his medical residency in Pittsburgh.