Page 47 - A Soldiers Exposition

FOURTEEN YEARS MISTER

I shall not bore you with all the sordid details. But, suffice it to say that a little less than a year later, the
same commander involved in the cup throwing incident became an advocate for me and recommended
me for direct appointment as a Warrant Officer.

Call me Mister. Army Warrant Officers are addressed as Mister or Chief.

My remaining fourteen years were served as a Warrant Officer.

Warrant Officer Oath:

“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;
that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well
and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God. “

Reference: Section 3331, Title 5, United States Code.
Army Regulation 601-100

All officers of the seven Uniformed services of the United States swear or affirm an oath of office upon
commissioning. It differs slightly from that of the oath of enlistment that enlisted members recite when
they enter the service. It is required by statute, the oath being prescribed by Section 3331, Title 5, United

States Code. One notable difference between the officer and enlisted oaths is that the oath taken by
officers does not include any provision to obey orders; while enlisted personnel are bound by the Uniform

Code of Military Justice to obey lawful orders, officers in the service of the United States are bound by this
oath to disobey any order that violates the Constitution of the United States.
My duties as a Warrant Officer included assignments with:

- Three different combat Divisions
- A unit in direct support of the 3 U. S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard)
rd
- The Pentagon.

What more could a soldier ask? I say without hesitation those years were full of:

Reward
Excitement, and
Fear all wrapped into one orderly little package.

I retired with the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Three, and I was leaving with a college education paid for
in part by Uncle Sam. I had a bright future ahead of me.

My service officially ended on 31 January 1990. I had proudly served in the United States Army for
twenty-two years, six months.

I was a success! And I was a total failure, skillfully wrapped into one very confused “civilian”.