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And here's the US Army oath of enlistment https://www.army.mil/values/oath.html https://www.army.mil/values/oath.html > "I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm

And here's the US Army oath of enlistment https://www.army.mil/values/oath.html https://www.army.mil/values/oath.html > "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; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God." Note that the enlisted soldiers' oath includes "I will obey the orders of the President of the United States" which the officers' oath doesn't.

psunavy03 2y ago
That is because commissioned officers are especially responsible for upholding the Constitution as opposed to swearing an oath to one person or a group of people.
Balgair 2y ago
As it was told to me, the part about swearing the oath to the constitution comes before the President, and it is understood by all service-members that said word order very much matters. In that, if the President gives an unconstitutional order, your honor demands that you follow the constitution. Also, that '(or affirm)' bit is interesting too. It's there because some religions prohibit swearing, most notably in US history, the Quakers. In fact, a few Quaker presidents have refused to swear during inaugurations and have chosen to affirm instead, I think.