§ 3331. Oath of office

An individual, except the President, elected or appointed to an office of honor or profit in the civil service or uniformed services, shall take the following oath: “I, AB, 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.” This section does not affect other oaths required by law.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 424.)

Obviously, there is nothing in the oath that prevents you from taking it multiple times. I have, upon accepting new positions. To me, it seems equally obvious that it didn’t include an expiration date. Likewise, my time was civil service rather than uniformed service – but the oath does not leave room for any different interpretation. “Support and defend the Constitution . . .against all enemies, foreign and domestic” – pretty simple, really. I took an oath that I will support and defend the Constitution – and that oath included the whole document.

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