February 1st, 2010

Testimonial of Retired U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant

airforceoriginalI am a retired United States Air Force Master Sergeant. I served from 1973 through 1994. I took the Oath of Enlistment several times. Only one was necessary, but the others were good for reinforcement of what I had sworn to do. My duties ranged from the most mundane to serving as a First Sergeant in several units.

As many have said, the Oath doesn’t have an expiration date nor any “exceptions” noted by asterisks or footnotes. It means what it says, just, as I might add, does our Constitution, judicial activist interpretation and political manipulation notwithstanding.

When I was a new enlistee, one of the first lessons we were taught in our training, which was repeated several times throughout my first enlistment, was that each man (or woman as the case may be) was duty bound to evaluate each order given by a superior and only obey those that were lawful. Not “legal”, but lawful. Lawful in that orders must be consistent with the Supreme Law of the Land as well as the UCMJ (Uniform Code of Military Justice). They were always careful to make that distinction. It was our inherent responsibility, we were told, to carry this burden and not “just obey orders” because we were also held to account by “a higher authority” and that disobeying an unlawful order was fulfilling our obligation to our country as well as the Oath. That meant if you had to defy the President of the United States, you were to do so. They even taught us how to refuse to obey, with this statement, “Sir, I respectfully refuse to obey that order. I believe it to be unlawful and cannot comply with it.”

After my first enlistment, when I became a “lifer”, and matured not only as a NCO but as a man, did I understand the why’s and wherefore’s of the Oath because of the wonderful mentors I had that were comprised of primarily senior NCO’s (mostly combat veterans) who would, in their own way, gruffly explain what the Oath actually meant in terms not meant for polite company.

We were also taught to be apolitical, as our duty was to safeguard the Nation and were to trust our civilian population to do their part in safeguarding the Constitution. Even during the Carter years, we still trusted, but his violations of the Oath through his own actions as the President of the United States started to corrode that trust, and by the time I retired, I, as well as many of my peers, no longer trusted the civilian population to do its part. The country was not the same as it was 20 plus years before.

Now, as a retired Senior NCO and having been witness to what’s going on in our country for the last 15 years, I join with you to reaffirm that I will fulfill my Oath.

I applaud your effort and will spread your site to all the vets I know. Force multiplication is occurring as you read this.

Sincerely,

Thomas E. Randall, Jr, MSgt, USAF (Ret)

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5 Comments »

  1. As a retired Senior NCO with the Air Force, please know that I stand with you.

  2. First Class testimony,Mstr.Sargeant Thom.Randall..

    Just wanted to fireoff an AttaBoy’.
    My sentiments (and more,)exactly. We’ve an obligation, a Mandate to uncounted tremendously loyal,noble&true soldiers & sailors like James B. Stockdale & myriads of Others;unsung.Unheralded. Truly commendable – your undefatigueable spirit, ….”and the beat goes on”.

    CWO-4 P.T.Mahoney,
    U.S.M.C.1960-66,1973-86

  3. Nice testimonial my friend. This is how to refuse to obey these days, with this revised statement: “I respectfully refuse to obey Obama, Ried, and Polosi. I believe they are unlawful people and I will not comply with their orders.”

    Μολὼν λάβε!

    Enough said.

  4. I, Jesus Christian and Patriot, am being CREAMED here in Eugene, Oregon. HELP!

    If you stand for your beliefs, then you will investigate what’s happening here: We are under attack.

    Pacifica Forum, a free speech group now tagged nationally as HATE GROUP, by SPL$ is under persecution.

    This group exposes Zionism; Israeli influence on US government; and war crimes against Gaza

    This is a group I followed and now, as Jesus Christian & US Patriot, must stand with, due to our local governors / persecutors aka “anti-Hate Task Force”.

    It’s like “coming to the Coliseum, to watch the slaughter of the innocents”. It’s Berkley in the 60s where protesters now cry on the Front Page & at University, “HATE CRIME”. It’s become this bad.

    No Salt of the Earth has come forward. No church. No conservatives. No messenger. No one. To help. Except me, and I stand alone.

    Everything you warn us about is happening right here in Eugene, Oregon. And we need you.

    I need your help / advice / network to believers

    Please reply. Or call me on cell: 541-210-0446

  5. This is one E-7 who is with you all the way. George

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