After an airman was unable to complete his reenlistment because he omitted the part of a required oath that states “so help me God,” the Air Force changed its instructions for the oath .

Following a review of the policy by the Department of Defense General Counsel, the Air Force will now permit airmen to omit the phrase, should they so choose. That change is effective immediately, according to an Air Force statement.

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

“The Air Force will be updating the instructions for both enlisted and commissioned Airmen to reflect these changes in the coming weeks, but the policy change is effective now. Airmen who choose to omit the words ‘So help me God’ from enlistment and officer appointment oaths may do so.”

The issue gained national attention in early September after a letter from the American Humanist Association outlined the case of an airman stationed at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada who was unable to complete his reenlistment after striking out the phrase in question on a form. The AHA said it was prepared to sue on religious freedom grounds unless the airman was allowed to reenlist without saying the phrase.
The requirement, the AHA argued, violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The issue drew attention to a previously unnoticed rule change: The rules governing the Air Force’s enlistment oaths used to include a note stating that “Airmen may omit the words ‘so help me God,’ if desired for personal reasons.” That exception quietly disappeared in October 2013, after which the Air Force required the inclusion of the full oath for any enlistment or reenlistment.

Now, the airman’s paperwork “will be processed to completion,” the Air Force statement said.
“We are pleased that the U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed our client has a First Amendment right to omit the reference to a supreme being in his reenlistment oath,” Monica Miller, an attorney with the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center, said in an emailed statement.
www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/09/17/the-air-force-will-now-allow-airmen-to-omit-so-help-me-god-from-enlistment-oaths/?Post+generic=%3Ftid%3Dsm_twitter_washingtonpost

How many who utter those words has god helped?,
i bet majority of american airmen who lost their lives in iraq and afghanistan uttered those words

nice move, in fact the word "God" should be banned in schools, courts, hospitals and public places.

love the way this Americans are systematically deleting God from their lives....doomsday imminent.

And they will still claim America as GODS own country,one nation under God

So help us God

From where cometh my help...... ''so help me God''

who cares?

Godless society; Anarchy looming. First it was stopping prayers said in schools and public places. Then their entertainment industry made a push to censor "God", Jesus etc on screen; and now this... Hmm... If some one tells me the great conspiracy is a farce, and that the US isn't linked up with the illuminati or free masons in anyway, or that the desire to rule the world is beyond political considerations, then, that person can as well make me believe that Jonathan isn't Nigeria's president. ** I didn't make this comment to get responses from atheists or atheist apologetics. Pls expect no replies.

Why

GOD..i thank you...

I just came back to nairaland last night..after my E-live

and my first post is on the first page of front page

indeed no place like home

bless my hustle here LORD

SO HELP ME GOD


this comment is dedicated to kelvingraphics for bringing me back to nairaland

Hw dat one com take concern me...mtchewww dat one na dia wahala

fp

Signs of the end time....!

America was built on a Godly foundation. Now all that is lost.

That's a tolerant country there.

A country worth living. Not a country filled with religious hypocritical maniacs

Thats their cup of tea..
We have boko haram to attend to

I was supposed to be the 9th to comment but only to sumit my comment and saw my self at number 21th and i asked '' where are we running to fellow Nigerians ?

All i could say for now is ''SO HELP ME GOD''. Amen.

Space taken

Signs of Jesus' second coming.

They are gradually trying to do away with God in their country

Well you can choose to call God, God or even refuse to recognise the fact that He is God or sovereign. Your opinion or mindset doesn't change the fact that He is still GOD

Scyllapatron: nice move, in fact the word "God" should be banned in schools, courts, hospitals and public places.

after the ban of GOD's name in public places, so your papa. name will take ova


juju worshiper since 1915BC.

WHATEVER

hungryboy: How many who utter those words has god helped?,
i bet majority of american airmen who lost their lives in iraq and afghanistan uttered those words

When you join the army, dear boy, you do not expect to come back alive.

The ''so help me God'' is the soldier saying ''I will perform my duties as a soldier with God's help even if I do not survive in the process''

You obviously think the Armed Forces are all about posing in those nice dress uniforms. No, son....it is , as the gladiators oath in ancient rome implies, a place for men to die.

Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant !

A welcomed development!

Okay

Okay, thats good.

se0un: One day God will die and men will live on other planets. fp

God will what? Are you OK?

Is your so called godly society any better than theirs ?

I don hear