Oath of Exit Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 5872 To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish a separation oath for members of the Armed Forces who are separating from military service. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 12, 2020 Mr. MAST (for himself, Mr. BARR, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. STIV- ERS, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. POSEY, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. CRAWFORD, and Mr. MARSHALL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To amend title 10, United States Code, to establish a separa- tion oath for members of the Armed Forces who are separating from military service. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Oath of Exit Act’’. 4 SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF SEPARATION OATH FOR MEM- 5 BERS OF THE ARMED FORCES. 6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find- 7 ings: 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 Feb 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5872.IH H5872 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 5872 IH (1) The United States Armed Forces is the 1 largest, all-volunteer military force in the world, yet 2 less than one percent of the American population 3 serves in the Armed Forces. 4 (2) Each branch of the Armed Forces (Army, 5 Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard) in- 6 stills in its members a sense of duty and obligation 7 to the United States, their branch of service, and 8 their comrades-in-arms. 9 (3) The Department of Veterans Affairs esti- 10 mates that approximately 20 veterans of the Armed 11 Forces commit suicide each day and a veteran’s risk 12 of suicide is 21 percent higher compared to an adult 13 who has not served in the Armed Forces. 14 (4) The Department of Veterans Affairs is ag- 15 gressively undertaking measures to prevent these 16 tragic outcomes, yet suicide rates among veterans 17 remain unacceptably high. 18 (5) Upon enlistment or appointment in the 19 Armed Forces, a new member is obligated to take an 20 oath of office or oath of enlistment. 21 (6) Most members of the Armed Forces view 22 this oath not as an imposition, but as a promise that 23 they are bound to fulfill. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 Feb 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5872.IH H5872 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 5872 IH (b) ESTABLISHMENT OF SEPARATION OATH.—Sec- 1 tion 502 of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 2 (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub- 3 section (c) and, in such subsection, by striking ‘‘The 4 oath’’ and inserting ‘‘An oath established by this 5 section’’; and 6 (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol- 7 lowing new subsection (b): 8 ‘‘(b) SEPARATION OATH.—Prior to retirement or 9 other separation from the armed forces, other than sepa- 10 ration pursuant to the sentence of a court-martial, a mem- 11 ber of an armed force may take the following oath: 12 ‘‘ ‘I, llllllll , recognizing that my 13 oath to support and defend the Constitution of the 14 United States against all enemies, foreign and do- 15 mestic, has involved me and my fellow members in 16 experiences that few persons, other than our peers, 17 can understand, do solemnly swear (or affirm) to 18 continue to be the keeper of my brothers- and sis- 19 ters-in-arms and protector of the United States and 20 the Constitution; to preserve the values I have 21 learned; to maintain my body and my mind; to give 22 help to, and seek help from, my fellow veterans; and 23 to not bring harm to myself or others. I take this 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 Feb 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5872.IH H5872 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 5872 IH oath freely and without purpose of evasion, so help 1 me God.’ ’’. 2 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 3 (1) SECTION HEADING.—The heading of section 4 502 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to 5 read as follows: 6 ‘‘§ 502. Enlistment oath and separation oath: who 7 may administer’’. 8 (2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 9 at the beginning of chapter 31 of title 10, United 10 States Code, is amended by striking the item relat- 11 ing to section 502 and inserting the following new 12 item: 13 ‘‘502. Enlistment oath and separation oath: who may administer.’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:46 Feb 19, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H5872.IH H5872 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS